Little bittern walking on water lilies

In Vienna, I know a place where I can find the little bittern walking around and hunting for frogs and other amphibian animals on top of the watter lilies. This normally very shy birds only shows when there are not so many people in the park and when the weather conditions are right for it. This warm summer Day in August this year we had the luck to see it hunting for its prey on the water lilies. Because most of the time this bird hides in the reeds that also grow there on several spots of this specific lake.

I was lucky to get such a close picture of the bird. Picture: Florian Glechner.

Because of its specific feather colors these birds are also difficult to spot and most of the time you only see them when they are moving across the water lilies that they use like little floating boats to get from one end to the other. But I also saw this bird flying in very low flight level over the "lake". So it is also very difficult to spot in flight. And since it is usually a shy animal it hides most of the day in the reeds. In the evening hours or in the morning you should have the best chances to see it.

The little bittern was walking on top of the water lilies to look for food (frogs, small fish). Picture: Florian Glechner.

A silent hunter. Picture: Florian Glechner.