Juvi Black Capped Night Heron at Swans Marina

Little surprised to see this, and mistook it for an American Bittern, which in my mind is Totally impossible to hope to see at this busy marina. The reason we mistook it for an American Bittern is that someone had pointed one out to us at Cranberry Marsh and stated that it was an American Bittern. Apparently, also mentioned, the American Bittern and the juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron look very similar and are often confused one for the other. However, my gut instinct tells me that the American Bittern is a very furtive and often hides in tall reeds and grasses along marsh edges, not sitting out in the open on a rock or log or stump. Soooooooo, upon contemplating this sight most of the day and recollecting the time we had seen an American Bittern at Cranberry, I got to thinking......checked the old shots, and low and behold.......:-( highly doubted it was an American Bittern we saw previously, despite what the other person present stated. I am pretty sure the other sighting was also a juvi black crowned night heron. The reason I feel it had to be is that the black capped night heron grown ups are present and easily spotted there, and it flew into a tree after sitting on a rock for quite some time, right out in the open marsh. This seemed odd behaviour for a Bittern, after having done some research online as to their habits and such.

Ah well, still cool to have seen this little night heron so close at the marina in Pickering.

My Original American Bittern Post