It is not very often you get to see an American Bittern in the open and even less common you get them within 30 feet of you. This wader was most likely pushed from the foreshore of Terra Nova Park in Richmond, BC by the cold and snow to an inner ditch with a south facing exposure and moving water. The cryptic coloration of these guys make them very difficult to spot, in fact, I had him down the ditch in my binoculars and walked right past him as he sat on the opposite bank. Thank you to John and Mel for the help in finding this heron.