Gallery at the Gardens Show, October 2006

American Bittern in Reeds

Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge - Sherwood - Oregon
Saturday, December 10, 2005, 14:11:42

Image © Copyright Ed Bustya
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Oregon in December is usually dark gray and rainy. On one of the only dry but gray days that month, just a couple weeks before I moved to Arizona, I took one last drive through the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge. I was heading over to stake out the tree favored by the Bald Eagles, when I noticed a movement a few yards away in the marsh and saw this American Bittern hunting for food in the stream coming out of the culvert under the road. The bird froze into it's "I'm a plant" position, where it points its head to the sky so that the coloring of its feathers will help it to blend into the reeds, and I froze in my "I'm not a predator" position. After a few minutes, the bird went back to hunting salamanders and frogs and I was able to get this photograph. This American Bittern starred on all the advertising for the grand opening of the refuge in 2006. It was the inspiration for the grand opening theme of "Open Your Eyes to Wildlife." It was also a finalist in the National Wildlife Refuge Association's 2005 photo contest.

Camera, Lens, and Exposure Information

Camera model: Canon EOS-1D Mark II
Lens used: Canon 600mm lens at 1200mm (using a 2X teleconverter)

Exposure Data:
ISO 400.
1/160 at f/8.
Av exposure mode (Aperture Priority).
Multi-segment metering +1/3 stop.

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