Dawn Serenade

May 2025 One dark May morning I arrived at the Marsh to steadily falling rain. It had not been in the previous day’s forecast and made me pause. I checked The Weather Channel. The rain looked patchy and local on radar but the forecast suggested it would last for two more hours. I sat and considered my options and was close to switching to land-based photography when the rain stopped. I checked the forecast again and it had changed, suggesting a clear morning ahead. Odd that. I’m not used to forecasts being up to the minute accurate! So I carried on with my original plans. I was almost done loading the canoe when an American Bittern flew by. They passed low, about eye-level, and less than 50 feet from me. It was strange because they seemed to be heading out of the wetland towards miles of agricultural fields. I thought it strange and said “Where are you going?” They abruptly did a 180, passed by me on the other side and returned to the Marsh. I saw them lock wings and begin a glide which suggested they were landing. In a few minutes they were giving their “swamp pump” call and I was on my way to a rendezvous. As soon as I launched the canoe, I could see the bittern calling in the distance from an elevated stump or wooden post obscured by cattails. They made no attempt to conceal themselves and seemed unafraid of me. I paddled slowly and close, making images and videos as I went. Soon the sky was clearing to a beautiful golden light. This image conveys a sense of the atmosphere of those moments as he offers his unusual call to the dawn. Interestingly, a Common Grackle attended most of the performance, seemingly caught in the same wonder I was. There have been moments in my life when I have felt invited into experiences by unexpected circumstances. At times the invitation seems to come from an unknown, unseen personality. At other times it’s very clear who is making the invitation. A bittern invited me into their day. I accepted the invitation, spending the rest of the morning with them. An unexpected gift from a shy bird who usually works hard at remaining unseen.