Lmst

Quand tu veux passer inaperçu mais que tu choisis le spot le plus près du photographe. Le petit blongios juvénile, expert en cache-cache, mais grande vedette malgré lui. (Least Bittern)

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Least Bittern

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A slender bird is poised in the reeds, surrounded by a serene natural setting.

Last Tuesday, I spent the afternoon at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, not far from JFK airport, in Queens, NY. To be specific, I spent about four hours in a blind at the edge of a small freshwater pond in this saltmarsh, mostly watching a Least Bittern and hoping it would come out into the open and closer to us. In the meantime, I appreciated the utility of a blind as a multitude of creatures disported around us. Here are a few shots of the Bittern, all heavily cropped and denoised. The Least Bittern, found in North America, is the smallest member of the Ardeidae (as listed by Birds of the World, which then describes the African Dwarf Bittern as smaller and lighter...). It is slightly larger than an American Robin (Bittern shown in the last shot conveniently posing with a Goldfinch). While not listed as endangered, its secretive nature makes counts difficult, and loss of marshland habitat poses a threat to this species.
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#LeastBittern #Ardeidae

Least Bittern, a small member of the heron family, in various poses, partially concealed in reeds along a freshwater pond in a saltmarsh. "Least Bitterns are very small herons. They have long legs and toes, daggerlike bills, and long necks that they often keep drawn in, giving a hunched appearance. Agitated birds may raise the crown and neck feathers. At a distance, Least Bitterns are blackish above and pale below. When seen well, adult males have two white “racing stripes” on the back. Females and younger birds are more uniformly buff or brownish. Fledglings are dark rusty or chestnut overall. In juveniles, which are seen in late summer and autumn, many feathers are neatly edged with buff and rufous, creating a scaly appearance above." (AllAboutBirds).

Least Bittern and American Goldfinch posing side-by-side at the edge of a pond.

#MarshMadness last April in search of a Least Bittern was a labor of persistence. Despite hearing its calls, after two-and-half hours of searching, we never saw it and headed home. After reading early afternoon reports that it had been spotted again, we made a return trip to the pond and were finally rewarded with a lifer sighting.

#birds #birding #BirdsOfMastodon #LeastBittern #nature #wildlife #SolaceInNature