Friends, this bird is an American Bittern and with his vertical striping in front is very well camouflaged against all the winter reeds.  They fish in the shallows like a heron, with neck stretched out and stabbing prey with that very big bill.  In the very early spring you may see a few of these birds, but later you may only hear their distinctive call. They are very secretive and the research community has not studied these birds to reveal their natural history, hmmm, a plan in the works, til Tomorrow MJ