An unusually hardy American Bittern survived the last five days of near-zero
and sub-zero weather by using a partly open groundwater-fed slough along
Canal Road just off of Route 104 about 2.5 miles south of the Route 22
intersection west of Circleville, Ohio in Pickaway County, Delorme page 68
D2 (unless it flew in from elsewhere recently). I enjoyed great bright
sunlit views today at 2:15 PM looking north from the pull-off about
two-tenths of a mile east of R104 near the canal dam. The slough drains
under the roadway and the bittern was near the road in a few inches of weedy
open water just inside the edge of the ice shelf.

It adopted the "reed" pose as I got out of my car to get my scope out of the
back. The brown streaked cream white throat and breast drooped down shaggy
like a beard. It flew after ten minutes observing. Green legs and dark
primaries were clearly visible.

I'm sure there are very few recent reports of American Bittern for February
south of the Lake Erie drainage area. Peterjohn (2001) suggests it is
seasonally accidental in central and southern Ohio. Considering the recent
weather--it's a remarkable survivor.

Tom Bain
The Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, Ross County

______________________________________________________________________

Ohio-birds mailing list, a service of the Ohio Ornithological Society.
Our thanks to Miami University for hosting this mailing list.
Additional discussions can be found in our forums, at www.ohiobirds.org/forum/.

You can join or leave the list, or change your options, at:
http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?LIST=OHIO-BIRDS
Send questions or comments about the list to: [log in to unmask]