Marian Murdoch wrote:

>Today I took a drive with my husband to Ridgefield NWR
>in Ridgefield, WA. Just after entering the driving
>tour, I photographed this little guy, who I'm having
>trouble identifying. I'm thinking it's a LEAST
>BITTERN:
>http://i9.tinypic.com/5xhqi6w.jpg

I agree with the people who ID this as a green heron, but I've often seen
green herons with the head crest erect, and while I've only seen a handful
of bitterns, I've never seen them do that.

Do they? That is, is a fluffed-up crest sufficient to say, not a bittern?

(Bitterns are also very shy indeed, by comparison with herons, who always
seem irritated by human intrusion more than scared.)

-Josh