American Bittern

Gallery: AvianPosted April 25, 2013207 views13 comments

At last, after too many spring seasons trying to photograph the courtship display of the American Bittern, I got lucky at Ridgefield NWR a couple weeks ago late in the afternoon and had some quality time with this handsome fellow in a clean setting. I hear and see them every spring, but as far as getting good photos, there always seems to be something distracting between me and the bittern.

Canon MKIV, 600mm, 1/400, f5.6, ISO 800, manual spot meter, cropped 20% all around

All your comments and suggestions are very much appreciated.

Ken Archer

Comments

13 comments

Comment posted by Claude Dagenais on April 25, 2013 at 6:11 PM

Good capture nonetheless, I guess you got quite the concert also.

Registered on April 10, 2013, 56 Posts, 571 Comments

Comment posted by Craig Strand on April 25, 2013 at 8:10 PM

Congrats Ken on this wonderful bittern image. I love the pose, most unique and your composition is very good.

Registered on March 30, 2008, 416 Posts, 2885 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on April 25, 2013 at 10:57 PM

Sweet, Ken. I love the unusual pose-it really shows off part of the call cycle. Oddly, I got lucky with one yesterday morning at Ridgefield-maybe they're getting inured to people there. My wife has a theory that the birds are getting selected for ability to tolerate humans, and I often find myself agreeing with her.

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by John Sherman on April 25, 2013 at 11:01 PM

The swollen chest and blue plumage sends this over the top.

well done

Verm

Registered on March 10, 2013, 31 Posts, 142 Comments

Comment posted by keith mitchell on April 26, 2013 at 3:08 AM

Ken that's really dramatic I love the puffed out breast feathers, that's one great pose.

Keith

Registered on July 12, 2008, 127 Posts, 1735 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on April 26, 2013 at 3:41 AM

Perfect perspective and great to catch this !! I've never even seen or heard the courtship.
Love the colours and habitat.
Excellent image!
Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on April 26, 2013 at 7:05 AM

I like the vertical framing a lot Ken, it really suits this habitat & bird.
I've been making an extra effort to turn the cam vertically, I many times forget to do it..
Very nice all-around, would be happy to call it mine

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on April 26, 2013 at 12:32 PM

Way to cool, what a wonderful perspective that is hard to get and look good but this certainly does. I think this would work well as a center crop with grasses all around. Nice job in getting this, well done.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments

Comment posted by S Govindarajan on April 26, 2013 at 1:49 PM

Great setting, Ken. I like the headon view.

Registered on April 19, 2008, 115 Posts, 1921 Comments

Comment posted by Roger Leekam on April 26, 2013 at 2:29 PM

Very interesting shot, Ken. I had trouble at first figuring out what i was looking at here. Excellent color & composition.

Registered on May 28, 2009, 83 Posts, 646 Comments

Comment posted by Barb Pflaum on April 26, 2013 at 7:47 PM

Great pose, color, and habitat! Very nicely done!

Registered on January 14, 2009, 316 Posts, 2724 Comments

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on April 26, 2013 at 10:55 PM

Great behavioral shot Ken, I've witnessed this but never gotten good photos of it, always thought it would be neat to capture, congrats on getting this

Registered on February 1, 2006, 1158 Posts, 19528 Comments

Comment posted by Rick Andrews on May 25, 2013 at 2:23 PM

Sweet shot Ken, love the low pov and the use of natural habitat for image framing.

Registered on December 31, 2011, 45 Posts, 222 Comments