What's an American Bittern doing in my fields? That's a first, yard bird number 158 or 159, depending on how scrupulous I am about that ring necked pheasant that stayed here for a week in 2000, most likely an escapee from the neighbor's pen. First thing this morning, as I walked out into the fields the bittern came up from the mowed grass, right next to the buck thorn patch, and slowly rose up and flew off toward the trees. I thought what was likely.....a hawk coming up from prey. But, I had a good long clear look, and it reshaped into a bittern. A lightish brown back and wings, with darker flight feathers. These fields are approx. 50 acres of goldenrod, large buckthorn patches and mowed paths. Not a bit of marsh or water to be seen. Each day, birds astound. Inga Schmidt Chagrin River Rd. Geauga/Cuy Co. line ______________________________________________________________________ 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]