Subject: I need help identifying a bird.
Date: Aug 31 19:22:31 1999
From: Joaw9 at aol.com - Joaw9 at aol.com


Greets tweets --
I am new to the group. I am relatively new to birding. I was at the new
Narbeck Wetland Park this morning and as I was walking the loop a bird flew
up and landed (in plain view) on the trail rail, less than fifty feet away
from where I stood.
My immediately reaction was ohmigod, it is a bittern. The front looked like
a bittern. The legs looked like a bittern. The size looked right for a
bittern (American). My problem is that it had dark (greenish-black?) cap on
it's head that the bird engaged (that is to say it became a 'crest'). And so
I said, "could that be a little green heron?"

I am now thoroughly confused. Do American bitterns ever have a green crest?
I looked in different field guides and did not see a bittern/little green
heron in the position this bird was in. I saw that least bitterns have a
dark cap but I cannot credit that the bird I saw could have been a least
bittern. And American bittern (at least in my field guides) don't show a
black crest/cap.

This is really driving me crazy. Can anyone enlighten this ignorant soul?
Many thanks for any help y'all can direct my way.
Jo Waldron