Eurasian Bittern

Bitterns still feel slightly unreal in Britain, as though they belong more to rumour than to open view. This photograph was made in Suffolk in spring, and even then it felt like one of those chances that could disappear at any moment. They are beautifully patterned birds, but not in an obvious way; everything about them seems designed to dissolve back into the background. That is part of what makes them so satisfying to photograph when one finally shows properly.