Jim,

The upper wing primaries, secondaries, lesser primary coverts, median
primary coverts & alula are black on the AMERICAN BITTERN. This is
noticable at a considerable distance in my experience. The literature
I've read states that they are year round residents along the coast, so
if the weather's been mild enough so far this winter, I guess it wouldn't
be too outlandish to find one still hanging around in your neighborhood.
We've still got BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS hanging around over here and
from your description of the bird and it's behavior, I'll sugest that it
could have been an immature BCNH.

Dennis K Rockwell
Kennewick, Washington
denniskrockwell at juno.com

"There are no eternal facts, as there are no absolute truths."
Nietzsche

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