Tag Archives: American Bittern

Hidden in Plain Sight

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My testimony, told through an American Bittern, of finding a Creator and Savior that was there all along…

“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:4

The American Bittern, a master of camouflage; Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia. March 13, 2019. ©www.williamwisephoto.com.

My daughter and I were only ten minutes into a four-day canoe trip through the Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp and already we had missed something. As a tourist-laden pontoon boat passed by, the naturalist on board pointed out an American Bittern camouflaged in the marsh grasses. We had paddled right past it, hidden in plain sight!

But we can’t be blamed. A prominent ornithology website says, “You’ll need sharp eyes to catch sight of an American Bittern. This streaky, brown and buff heron can materialize among the reeds, and disappear as quickly, especially when striking a concealment pose with neck stretched and bill pointed skyward.” With his bill pointed upward, our bittern blended in perfectly with the tall brown grasses that lined the water’s edge. Again, perfectly hidden in plain sight.

American Bittern; Okefenokee Swamp Georgia. March 13, 2019. ©www.williamwisephoto.com.

I began to remember that same “hidden-in-plain-sight” feeling just after surrendering my life to Jesus Christ while in college. As Christ continued to reveal Himself to me in those first days of salvation, I was mesmerized by the fact that the truth of the gospel had been there all along, right in front of my nose, but I never saw it. And over the years, as my love of the outdoors and my study of wildlife continued, the evidence of God’s hand as Creator became more and more obvious: overwhelming evidence of design, the complexity of biology, genetic programming within animals, the beauty found in nature… all things that point to a Designer. And they were all right there all along, hidden in plain sight.

But why don’t we see them? Two reasons: In part, we are blinded by an outside force. The Bible states that, “the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4). And we are also blinded by our own internal biases against the Bible that cause us not to see the evidence of God in creation. When speaking of the past creation and future destruction of this world, Peter wrote, “For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water.” (2 Peter 3:5).
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Even though my daughter and I paddled right by that Bittern and didn’t recognize his presence, he was still there. He was just hidden in plain sight and merely needed to be pointed out to us. For twenty years, I paddled right through life not noticing Christ. But when someone pointed Him out on December 1, 1993, I realized He was there all along, hidden in plain sight and the overwhelming evidence became more and more obvious.

Hi, I’m wildlife photographer and nature writer William Wise. I was saved under a campus ministry while studying wildlife biology at the University of Georgia. My love of the outdoors quickly turned into a love for the Creator and His works. I’m currently an animal shelter director and live in Athens, Georgia with my wife and two teenage daughters, who are all also actively involved in ministry. Creation Speaks is my teaching ministry that glorifies our Creator and teaches the truth of creation.  — “What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations.” Psalms 104, The Message.

Avian And Attributes – Always There (Omnipresence)

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American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) by Ian Montgomery

American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) by Ian Montgomery

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5 KJV)

Avian and Attributes – Always There  (Omnipresent)

OMNIPRES’ENT, a. Present in all places at the same time; ubiquitary; as the omnipresent Jehovah.

What a great promise. The Lord definitely was with all of us here in Florida as we rode out Hurricane Irma. We have friends and family around the state and around our area, yet the Lord was right there with each of us during the storm. As I begin the Avian and Attributes series back up, this time coming through using the First Name of birds to match the Attributes, the American Bittern was chosen because they are all over our state. Haven’t seen any yet, but then we haven’t been birdwatching, needless to say.

The eye of the storm went right over Winter Haven and it was a bit of a scary night with the winds howling on Sunday morning August 10. Had gust at least 88 mph, but thankfully we were staying with friends in a house (which never lost power.) We live in a manufactured house (mobile home) and we were all told to evacuate. Monday we came back to survey our place, and praise the Lord, we had minimal damage. We came back Tuesday to stay. I am including photos we took. Our electric came back on yesterday (Thursday 14th), and now we have air conditioning and the internet back up. Yeah!! Lost everything in the refrigerator and freezer, but that is replaceable. We have insurance and it should cover our damage. Again, the Lord is with us through all of this.

Our House before the storm

Our House after Irma – Carport minimal damage

Our church, Faith Baptist came through okay. Baron Brown, who writes on here as Golden Eagle, lost power, but no damage. Emma Foster’s parent’s house had no damage, nor lost electric. God is Good, All the Time!!!

P.S. The Sandhill Cranes in our neighborhood have visited us since the storm and the Doves. Haven’t seen any of the Finches yet. Trust they made it through the storm. The feeders are up and re-stocked.

American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) by Dans Pix

American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) by Dan

American Bittern

The American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) is a species of wading bird in the heron family of the Pelican order of bird. It has a Nearctic distribution, breeding in Canada and the northern and central parts of the United States, and wintering in the U.S. Gulf Coast states, all of Florida into the Everglades, the Caribbean islands and parts of Central America.

It is a well-camouflaged, solitary brown bird that unobtrusively inhabits marshes and the coarse vegetation at the edge of lakes and ponds. In the breeding season, it is chiefly noticeable by the loud, booming call of the male. Ardeidae – Herons, Bitterns Family

Click photos to see full size.

More Avian and Attributes

Birds whose first name start with “A”

Birds of the Bible – American Bittern

Ian’s Bird of the Week – American Bittern

“B” is for Bluebird and Bittern: “B” Birds, Part 1

Sunday Inspiration – Bittern

Good News

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[Definitions from Webster’s Dictionary of American English (1828), unless noted. Bird info from Wikipedia plus.]

Birds of the Bible – American Bittern

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American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) by Lee

American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) by Lee

The Bittern is found in the KJV in three verses of Scripture. Some versions translate it differently. But for the sake of this article, here are those verses:

I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts. (Isaiah 14:23 KJV)

But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it: and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness. (Isaiah 34:11 KJV)

And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds: for he shall uncover the cedar work. (Zephaniah 2:14 KJV)

We were out at Circle B Bar Reserve just before Christmas and spotted an American Bittern. They are quite evasive and not spotted often, at least by me. That protection reminds me of several verses:

Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings, (Psalms 17:8 KJV)

Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me. (Psalms 143:9 KJV)

 

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Bitterns are members of the Ardeidae – Herons, Bitterns Family. “Although common in much of its range, the American Bittern is usually well-hidden in bogs, marshes and wet meadows. Usually solitary, it walks stealthily among cattails or bulrushes. If it senses that it has been seen, the American Bittern becomes motionless, with its bill pointed upward, causing it to blend into the reeds. It is most active at dusk. More often heard than seen, this bittern has a call that resembles a congested pump.

Like other members of the heron family, the American Bittern feeds in marshes and shallow ponds, dining on amphibians, fish, insects and reptiles.

This bittern winters in the southern United States and Central America. It summers throughout Canada and much of the United States. As a long-distance migrant, it is a very rare vagrant in Europe, including Great Britain and Ireland. This bird nests in isolated places with the female building the nest and the male guarding it. Two or three eggs are incubated by the female for 29 days, and the chicks leave after 6–7 weeks.” (From Wikipedia)

Identification Tips: (USGS)

  • Length: 23 inches Wingspan: 45 inches
  • Medium-sized wading bird
  • Dark brown upperparts
  • Underparts streaked brown and white
  • Black malar streak
  • Yellow bill with dark culmen
  • Black primaries and secondaries
  • Sometimes “freezes” with neck held upwards
  • Immatures similar to adults but lack the malar streak

American Bittern sounds from Cornell

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Bible Birds – American Bittern

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American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) by Lee

The Bittern is found in the KJV in three verses of Scripture. Some versions translate it differently. But for the sake of this article, here are those verses:

I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts. (Isaiah 14:23 KJV)

But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it: and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness. (Isaiah 34:11 KJV)

And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; their voice shall sing in the windows; desolation shall be in the thresholds: for he shall uncover the cedar work. (Zephaniah 2:14 KJV)

We were out at Circle B Bar Reserve just before Christmas and spotted an American Bittern. They are quite evasive and not spotted often, at least by me. That protection reminds me of several verses:

Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings, (Psalms 17:8 KJV)

Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me. (Psalms 143:9 KJV)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Bitterns are members of the Ardeidae – Herons, Bitterns Family.”Although common in much of its range, the American Bittern is usually well-hidden in bogs, marshes and wet meadows. Usually solitary, it walks stealthily among cattails or bulrushes. If it senses that it has been seen, the American Bittern becomes motionless, with its bill pointed upward, causing it to blend into the reeds. It is most active at dusk. More often heard than seen, this bittern has a call that resembles a congested pump.

Like other members of the heron family, the American Bittern feeds in marshes and shallow ponds, dining on amphibians, fish, insects and reptiles.

This bittern winters in the southern United States and Central America. It summers throughout Canada and much of the United States. As a long-distance migrant, it is a very rare vagrant in Europe, including Great Britain and Ireland. This bird nests in isolated places with the female building the nest and the male guarding it. Two or three eggs are incubated by the female for 29 days, and the chicks leave after 6–7 weeks.” (From Wikipedia)

Identification Tips: (USGS)

  • Length: 23 inches Wingspan: 45 inches
  • Medium-sized wading bird
  • Dark brown upperparts
  • Underparts streaked brown and white
  • Black malar streak
  • Yellow bill with dark culmen
  • Black primaries and secondaries
  • Sometimes “freezes” with neck held upwards
  • Immatures similar to adults but lack the malar streak

American Bittern sounds from Cornell

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