American Bittern Pictures by Rick Cameron

American Bitterns

American bittern eating a red-spotted garter snake at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Red-spotted Breakfast

Red-spotted garter snakes are almost too beautiful for words but not too beautiful for breakfast, at least not if you’re a hungry bittern. I came across this bittern after it had captured a red-spotted garter snake early one morning. It mostly stayed in a sheltered area in the reeds where I couldn’t get a good look at it.

I came across the same bittern a little while later, and noticed it had just caught a second garter snake, this one even larger than the first. It killed the snakes by applying pressure with its beak, often to the snake’s head. Even so, it took the snakes a while to die, and the bittern made sure the snake was dead before swallowing it.

Probably a good idea when your breakfast can bite you back.

American bittern eating a bullfrog at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Two Can Play That Game

Bullfrogs aren’t native to the Northwest but they have quickly spread everywhere. They have voracious appetites and aren’t picky eaters, so on top of habitat loss they’ve been making life difficult for some of our native frogs and turtles.

But even for bullfrogs, sometimes you’re the predator, sometimes the prey.

This bittern was hunting with another bittern in a quiet channel when it snared a bullfrog back in the grass. It quickly walked over to the water, dunked the frog briefly underwater, then swallowed it in an instant.

The other bittern stabbed at something on the ground and then started to freak out a bit, getting agitated and wiping its bill along the plant leaves. When I got home and saw the pictures, I understood why: the young bittern had tried to eat a banana slug, which causes your mouth to go numb.

American bittern peeks out from tall grasses at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Drive Slowly, Look Closely

Bitterns are frequently seen close to the auto tour around Rest Lake at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, but they are usually not out in the open. I always drive slowly in the area, it’s a favorite location of mine in general, but the bitterns are always a special treat. I found this one on a cold winter’s evening as I was getting ready to leave the refuge.

American bittern vocalizing along the auto tour at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

Trying To Be Heard

I took this picture in May of 2001. The grasses of the marsh at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge were still green, so bitterns were easier to spot than when the grasses turn brown and the bitterns can remain so still and perfectly camoflaged that you can stare right at them and not see them.

This bittern wasn’t trying to be invisible, though, it was trying to be heard. Their unique call resonates across the marsh and I hear a lot more bitterns than I see.

American bittern attempting to remain unseen at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge

I'm Invisible!

To be fair, this bittern nearly was invisible. I was driving very slowly past this narrow channel of water and even then I barely noticed the bird standing still in the brown grasses. After looking around a bit, it took some very slow steps into the reeds and was truly out of sight.