Have you got ordered your turkey yet? Perhaps a nice plump goose is more your thing for Christmas Day? Whatever your choice of Christmas fowl, it won't be a bittern!

In days long gone, fenland folk in the east of England would like nothing better than tucking into roast bittern to celebrate another Christmas. You can find out more about bitterns, turkeys and other potential Christmas meals on my colleague Katie's Christmas blog.

Anyway, this bittern below is doing its best to avoid becoming a Christmas treat by attempting to blend into its reed-filled background. But actually, it's freezing still and looking up as a marsh harrier floats silently overhead - no doubt looking for a tasty treat of it's own. The snow doesn't help its cause, let's be honest if the snow wasn't there, it would be incredibly difficult to see!

Bittern - photo by Roger Tidman (www.rspb-images.com)

Roger Tidman took this image - it's one of thousands of inspiring, beautiful and even amusing on RSPB Images. Take a look, after all, surely it's better to have an image of a bittern on your wall, than on your plate this Christmas?

For more on our science, check out the RSPB Centre for Conservation Science web pages.