Pinnated Bittern

Yesterday I 'bagged' what I can't really call a nemesis bird, for I don't often have the opportunity to bird in its natural habitat. But it certainly was the one I was hoping for, as Milagro, Roselvy and I set out on a wobbly wooden boat on Laguna El Jocotal in El Salvador, to take part in an International Waterbird Count. We were accompanied by two park rangers, who impressed me with their knowledge of local birds.

Pinnated Bittern ranges widely from Mexico to South America and is probably not rare, but rarely observed, as it is a mostly nocturnal species occurring in habitat that's difficult to access without a boat.

We also got a fleeting glimpse of a Least Bittern we flushed from the same reed bed, as well as better looks at Snail Kite, Limpkin, White-tailed Kite, Black-bellied Whistling-duck, Ruddy-breasted Seedeater, Ringed Kingfisher, Red-winged Blackbird and other common species found in this type of habitat.

Here a shot of a Limpkin.