Last week I reported seeing a bittern at Spencer Island. This last
weekend my wife Rosi and I saw one at the Rifle Refuge near Vancouver,
B.C. After looking in vain for more than two years, I see bitterns on
two consecutive weekends!
As we were walking one of the dikes, Rosi grabbed my arm and pointed at
the bittern landing no more than 25 feet away from us across a canal on a
small cattail island. Once it landed, however, it completely disappeared--
dispite our careful scrutinizing of the area. What camouflage!
We also saw the two resident Sandhill Cranes walking on the lawn next to
the visitor center. And we were treated to the incredible sight of at
least a thousand snow geese all going up at once (with the accompanying
noise). And on the way to the island refuge, we stopped and admired
trumpeter swans in a farmer's field. What a great place!
wjansen