The American Bittern that has put on a show for so many people this past week at the Cleveland Metroparks Rocky River Reservation has flown off.  We know this because we witnessed the actual event.
 
Friday evening after sunset, we went to look for it hoping it might call.  We live less than ten minutes away.  We parked, walked along the trail a few hundred yards, and despite the gathering dusk were able to spot it.  There were still late night bicyclists, joggers, and plenty of car traffic going by, though we were the only birders.  We were standing on the bike trail, keeping a respectful distance and all that, waiting for it to do something.  Well, it did something, all right!  After about 10 to 15 minutes, without a sound, at exactly 8:23PM it shot up into the air and started flying south and out of sight in the direction of the Big Met golf course club house.
 
We didn't post it immediately because we did not know at the time that it was gone for good.  We thought it might be flying off every evening to spend the night elsewhere.  But after hearing it was not seen at all Saturday, we have to conclude it has left.  Where it is now is anybody's guess.  Sorry, but we really don't think we scared it away.  We all know it couldn't stay there forever.
 
 
John and Ann Edwards
Rocky River
Cuyahoga 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]