Bittern at the reed edge
Botaurus stellaris
Eurasian Bittern · Stodmarsh · 2 May 2026
A Bittern walking the reed edge at Stodmarsh, which is about as good as a view of one gets. Bitterns are birds of big reedbeds and nothing else, and Stodmarsh is one of the places the species came back to in Britain after it fell to a literal handful of booming males in the 1990s, on the strength of reedbed restoration.
Streaked buff and brown plumage dissolves into a reedbed almost completely once the bird stops moving. Bitterns rely on camouflage and stillness rather than flight, typically freezing bill-up with the stripes matching the reeds, rather than walking calmly along the waterline the way this one is.
Birds, insects, plants and other wildlife, mostly from Brooklyn, with some from further afield.
Every photograph comes with notes on what it is.
Selected
Favourite shots. Filter by subject, or .
Places
Everything, by where it was taken.
Species
Larger catalogue of photos organized by species of animal or plant.
Catalogue
Every photograph, newest first. Narrow it by period, place or species; the three work together.
Updates
Coming soon. Sign up at the bottom of the page for updates.