Aug. 24, 2014 - Least Bittern Catching a Fish
Read MoreAt 13 inches, the Least Bittern is our smallest heron. It’s also a very elusive bird, preferring to stay hidden among the cattails. Birders hear this bird more often than they see it. Several people reported seeing Least Bitterns at Wood Lake Nature Center in Richfield, MN, so I went there last week hoping I could get some photos.
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Several times I walked across the boardwalk that bisects one of the ponds at Wood Lake. Finally, I spotted this Least Bittern standing on a dirt clump on the opposite side of the pond. Something in the water caught its attention. The Bittern slowly turned its head to keep its prey in sight.
BitternLeastcatchingfishWoodLakeNatureCenterRichfield20140819
It was a cloudy day, so my camera speed was only 1/400th of a second. Even so, when the attack came, it was so fast that the head and neck of the bird were blurred while the body stayed in focus. The Bittern must have kept a very tight hold on the dirt pile to keep from falling in the water from this position.
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