BIRD PHOTOS
American Bittern
birdfotos.com
Map and range not to any given scale.
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To learn more and hear its song click here;
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/American_Bittern_dtl.html
18 large photos please wait for them to load.
New images as of December 05, 2005 taken at Gilbert, Arizona at;
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In looking for
a good place to set up my camera I noticed an area where
I could get right down to the edge of one of the many ponds that were there.
After setting up all of my equipment and sitting down to wait for what ever might fly,
swim by I just could not believe what I saw. Not more than 10 feet from where
I set up was an American Bittern catching fish & frogs on the water's edge.
I thought if didn't fly away after me setting all of my equipment
I might as well climb back up the bank and get a shorter lens and camera body.
And sure enough it did not move a feather, so I took quite a few photographs of it trying & catching fish & eating a fish.
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Will you please stop pointing that ole camera at me,
gee, can't a bird get any privacy around here?
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Well, if'ya gota take pictures of me, how's this pose?
WELL??
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It just stood there motionless as if no one was around it.
I think it sees something in the water.
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ZAP, into the water goes its beak.
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Got-cha.
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I had better get this one down, it's really a fighter.
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Boy it's really a fighter.
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I'll get up here on the bank a little farther so if it does get away I'll be able to get it back.
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Hold still you lil ole critter while I turn ya around so you can go down.
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Also most got it.
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Well, it's not turned just the way I had wanted it to be but better swallow it down any ol way.
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FINALLY I go it; I think, I could see the fish wiggling all the way down.
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Every now and then it would fly over to the island about 30 feet away.
As it caught fish other water birds would come over to investigate.
But within minutes it fly back to where I was sitting with my camera set up.
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OK, I give up; what is it doing? I thought at first it was going to fly away but it didn't.
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This was its next move.
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And now the other wing, oh-boy that sure feels good.
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I still don't know what this is all about.
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Remember now, all while this is going on the bird is no more than 10 feet from me if that.