This is a shot I enjoyed getting; it’s an American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) in San Rafael, CA on January 30, 2016. Bitterns are well-camouflaged to hide in the reeds and tall grasses of marshes, so finding one and getting a clear photo are a little difficult. This might be a guy or a girl: the males and females in this species are very similar, with the males often being slightly larger, and supposedly the male’s crown and back are more black while the female’s are more brown. I certainly can’t tell. In any case, s/he didn’t look too happy that I had noticed him/her. They did this great pose, even though I was 30 or 40 meters away on the trail, and then slowly slinked away into invisibility in the reeds.