Bitter(n) Sweet

Six Word Photo Story: Freestyle

Brown sugar bird sweetens cinnamon branches.

During my walk yesterday, I spotted a largish squat bird perched in a tree. It was almost dusk, and the bird blended in seamlessly with the cinnamon-y branches.

Its shape and size were similar to the Black-crowned night heron. A flock of those black-capped beauties had visited our lake a month back.

I was startled to see (what looked like) a heron sitting quite high up in a tree.

I later identified this bird as a Bittern — a member of the heron family.

Bitterns live in reedy marshes and feed on fish, frogs, and insects.

They are stealth hunters and masters of camouflage.

Their streaky buff and brown bodies disappear into the cattails and grasses. They augment their disguise by elongating their necks, pointing their beaks skyward, and swaying like reeds in a breeze.

Cardinal Richlieu said, “To know how to disguise is the knowledge of kings.”

And Bitterns.

Thanks for reading!

Do check out some great pics and stories by my Photo Friends: pockett dessert B.R. Shenoy Ellie Jacobson, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles David Acaster

Mary Chang Story Writer, Thanks for publishing my story in your awesome publication.

A couple of my stories: