Least Bitterns

starting with the rubbish pictures! on our second morning at Long Point the sun rose behind a huge dark grey cloud as we were entertained by a pair of courting Least Bitterns -- they were never close and even with the 2x converter and 1600 ISO I was only getting 500th second -- the male and female chased each other through the cattails and indulge din some head bobbing and swaying behaviour -- the true size of this diminutive marsh dweller was only obvious when they sat alongside a Red-winged Blackbird being only marginally bigger than the songbird -- a privileged encounter by all accounts --