Date: 4/25/25 7:01 pm From: Tom Nagel <thjnagel...> Subject: Re: American Bittern - surprise, remote location/habitat?
Terry, years ago when I worked at Lake of the Ozarks State Park, an
American bittern showed up at the small fen (wet, seepy area) between the
cave visitor center & the entrance to Ozark Caverns and stayed a few days.
It was feeding on crayfish.
There are three small seeps scattered around the McGhee Cecil tract as well
as a wet swale running east southeast from the pond. I wonder if It is
searching for crayfish or other aquatic life associated with those?
Tom Nagel
St Joseph
Buchanan County
On Fri, Apr 25, 2025, 8:34 PM Dianne & Steve Kinder <
<000000023c9fba03-dmarc-request...> wrote:
> I was with a group one time led by Brad Jacobs at Pawnee Praire in
> Harrison County. We flushed an AMBI from a small pond in the middle of a
> large area of open praire. Brad didn't seem too surprised, and said
> sometimes they show up in areas like that. He was always teaching others
> while leading trips like that. Terry McNeely and I plan to do some birding
> on May 1st on Birding for Brad Day. Hope many others do so as well.
>
> Steve Kinder
> Chillicothe
> <dmkinder...>
>
> On Friday, April 25, 2025 at 07:46:09 PM CDT, Terry Miller <
> <millert832...> wrote:
>
>
> This afternoon I swung by the McGee Family CA (Cecil tract) to bird the 35
> acres of virgin prairie (which had not been burned this spring). It is
> the only virgin prairie in Clinton County (northeast of KC and southeast of
> St. Joseph) where the entire county is primarily row crops and cattle
> pastures. Near the middle of the 35 acre tract is a small pond of about 1
> to 1 1/2 acres. The dam is overgrown with tall willow trees and the rest of
> its perimeter has woody shrubs and tall prairie grasses.
>
> When I approached it, I heard, and barely saw, a large bird take flight
> and head behind the dam's tall willows...out of sight. I assumed it was
> a Great Blue Heron. A few moments later, it flew over the willows and
> towards me. It definitely wasn't a GBH and I first thought was a
> Black-Crowned or Yellow-Crowned Night Heron by its size and shape. I
> glassed it quickly and, to my great surprise, I saw the "golden" stripes
> going down the neck and breast and easily identified it as an American
> Bittern! It continued flying away but I don't believe it will find any
> suitable habitat nearby. I left fairly soon...maybe it will return but I
> am doubtful.
>
> That was definitely an unexpected bird! The virgin prairie and small
> overgrown pond edges must have appeared an oasis for a tired migrating
> Bittern I guess?
>
> Spring birding is so cool! You never know what surprise bird you may
> encounter!
>
> Terry L. Miller
> Plattsburg, MO
> <millert832...>
>
> www.millerstaxidermy.net
>
> Follow me on Instagram: terryl.miller
>
> "Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely his
> eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have
> been made." Romans 1:20
>
> "The world will never starve for want of wonders; but only for want of
> wonder." G.K. Chesterton
>
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