Observers: Deb & Jim Parker
Email: jimndebbyatquenetdotcom
Remote Name: 209.221.222.165
Date: 07/09/2005
Time: 02:33 PM -0400
This morning around 8:30 we finally found a Least Bittern in our scope, after an hour of looking on the west side, we drove to the S. side of the western most pond, (road closest to the Owens River) and looked north into the reeds behind and east of a beaver lodge. The bittern was watched as it hung onto cattail stems with its long yellow legs and feet. It darted at insects flying by with its long-looking pointed bill & stabbed at small fish in the water. The color was much lighter than a Green Heron and seemingly smaller. A reduced dark green crown with lots of buffy/yellow around the eye, pale streaks in the neck and rusty-orange in the nape. The back was a pale brown as were the wings. A whitish wingbar on the pale wing. Hard to photograph as the bird was about 200 ft. away and often hidden in the grasses.