The American bittern, known to be heard more than seen, made a rare appearance at Mud Lake

While driving along the marshy area west of Mud Lake this past week, I saw an old friend flying low across the bulrush and cattails. It was the first American bittern that I have seen in several years. I saw inland near a grass covered bank and stopped close to the area. It was not long before I heard a clicking sound before a male made a sound like “pump-er-lunk, pump-er-lunk, pump-er-lunk”, almost like a water pump struggling to suck up water.

I finally saw it semi-camouflaged in some tall grass with its bill pointed to the sky, slightly waving back and forth. He hid again in the tall grass to make his territorial call as another bittern exposed itself further down the bank; probably one of his female companions. His low-pitched calls were loud enough to alert other males that this was his territory and to stay away.

The small heron-like bird is heard much more than they are seen because of their stealth and secretiveness in heavy vegetation. Market Lake, Mud Lake and Camas National Wildlife Refuge are good spots in our area for them to be located. Several years ago, at Market Lake, a male bittern paired with three females to raise some chicks.

Being true snowbirds, bitterns migrate to Canada and the northern states in May from the southern coastal areas in the USA, Mexico and Central America. Once here, the males start announcing their availability with strange sounds that can be heard for half a mile. These calls give the males the name of “bog bull” or “thunder pumper.” Other names they are known by are “stake driver,” mire-driver,” and “dunk-a-doo.”

The males are polygamists. They like two or three women around them through the breeding and nesting season. They are not interested in domestic chores, like building nests or sitting on the eggs; they are only interested in propagation and the guarding of the nests while the female sits on the eggs. Once two to five chicks are hatched, he is gone; bachelor parties are not an option because they are very solitary birds. So most of the year, they are quiet hermits.

The female will feed the young partially digested puree for a few weeks, but after the young have learned to harvest minnows, frogs, small snakes, and bugs, they are abandoned and left on their own. The young may migrate in small groups, while the mature birds usually migrate singly at night.

Market Lake used to be a perfect place for bitterns to spend the summer with all the shallow ponds, thick reeds, cattails and marsh grass where they can stay hidden, but this year much of the grass, bulrushes and cattails have be burned or killed. These birds have cryptic coloration with striping that blends in very well with the mature vegetation as the summer progresses. Trails through the marshes of Market Lake have been closed to protect nesting birds that use the management area.

When these handsome birds feel they have been seen, they remain motionless with their bill raised high, pointing to the sky. No, this is not because they are stuck up – it is to allow their coloring and shape to blend in the surrounding vegetation.

They are very territorial and keep other birds and animals away from their area. When threatened, they stalk intruders in a crouching position, with its head and neck retracted against their breast. Anything within 18 inches of the bird may be speared with its eight-inch dagger-like bill as the recoiled neck acts as a loaded spring.

These camo-colored birds are beautiful. If you ever see them, their movements can be very comical along area marsh lands. Once you learn their call, you will know where they are. So be patient, listen closely and you may see the mystery sick water pump or bellowing bull in action.