Natalie Moore found this American Bittern miraculously from her car as she was cruising along the Cleveland Metroparks Rocky River Reservation parkway parallel to Big Met Golf Course. Both the parkway and the multipurpose park trail run along a large swamp wetland here, where this bittern was seen at length and point-blank yesterday evening. The bird is still present as of Tuesday morning, April 3rd. Take the parkway north from the intersection with Puritas Road, pass the golf course headquarters on the right, then Cleveland Metroparks Park Operations building on your left, the golf course again on your right, and as you go around a huge bend, look immediately on the right side of the parkway/hike&bike trail and the bittern was found here in the southern part of the swamp. Go north a quarter of a mile to park, then walk back to southernmost end of swamp to look for the bird. Photos taken by JB with Leica D-Lux 5 camera/digiscope adapter and Leica Televid 82 mm scope.
NorthNW | Lake Erie birding 
Beautiful! Wonderful shots of a bird that has thus far eluded me. Congrats on the sighting and the great pics!
Amazing photos! Thank you, Natalie, for sharing, and thank you Jen for making it possible!
Great stuff. And, like politics, all birding is local.
Bittern still present tuesday april 3 fide multiple birders…
Wow…wouldn’t mind trying for this tomorrow! About how distant is the bird from the path? Just curious which lens I should bring!
Amazing pictures, btw!
It was still there today, April 4 and so were the birders 🙂 I got some nice shots and added a life-bird while enjoying the company of others! A good day.
Excellent images of this rare and most often timidly shy bird. Great writeup and images. Hope to see it today if it’s still around!
Daniel Behm