American Coot
To someone that doesn’t normally get to see the American Coot, I truly enjoyed myself watching them as if they were a rare bird! Of course, they are not that rare and when they do show up they don’t let me to photograph them like what I captured here. Lucky we found two individuals that let us sneak up on them and watch them feeding around the docks. It was soo cute; they were slowly bopping up and down in the water looking for some vegetation to eat! Sibley stated that they floated like a cork! I could see that for sure with these birds!
When I first saw them, I couldn’t figure out what the heck they were doing! Then I realized that they were picking the vegetation growing along the dock’s edge! But, not all of the coots that we saw were feeding on the docks edge. A good majority of them were feeding on some kind of vegetation (probably seaweed of some kind) or maybe some small fish. I just couldn’t get enough of these American “cutes” and I just had to make them their own post!
Such an interesting bird, wish they would come inland more!
Mon@rch's Nature Blog 
Great Coot pictures.
I’m glad you enjoyed them so much.
Have a Happy New Year, Tom.
30 December 2006 at 12:26 am
Great pix! I love coots, they do seem to bobble around on the water.
30 December 2006 at 9:28 am
You took some great coot photos.
Just don’t become one.
30 December 2006 at 9:42 am
I was wondering why you mentioned coots in your last post but didn’t show us photos – thanks for giving them their own post! You capture some great shots! I’ll be looking much closer at the birds on the lake from now on.
30 December 2006 at 9:54 am
Coots are a lot of fun, and we enjoy watching them up at Iroquois. Though, they can be extremely cruel parents (killing the weaker chicks to save resources for the ones with the most potential for survival). More info on coots at Cornell.
As for this “rare” vs. “just a” business among birders, I am guilty of thinking some of the most common birds are also the most fascinating to watch (crows, cedar waxwings, robins, and catbirds among my faves). I like to think there can be very good reasons why particular birds survive so well. 🙂
Great post.
30 December 2006 at 6:53 pm
@ Bev – Thanks and Happy New Year to you also!
@ Lynne – Isn’t that bobbling fun to watch? I love it!
@ Becca – I will try not too but all my neighbors probably think I am already with all the nature things I am doing!
@ NatureWoman – lots of wonderful birds around! I saw a post in email that there is a Mew Gulls up at the falls right now! Also, up in Canada there is an escape Great Gray Owl flying around.
@ Jennimi – Thank and I have seen some clips on the life of the birds where they are not that kind! Thanks for visiting!
30 December 2006 at 10:29 pm
I remember seeing many coots around central Minnesota. We used to call them “mudhens”. I’m not sure if that was right or not. Hmmm.
Randy
30 December 2006 at 11:31 pm
So are you on your way to the falls to see Mew Gulls, then Canada to look for the Great Gray Owl? It’s not that far, the weather is great, go for it! Would these two be lifers for you, or just ones for the year list?
31 December 2006 at 10:17 am
If you’re going to the Falls Tom I’ll meet you there-;) it’s only an hour and a bit away!
There’s a Harlequin Duck I wanted to get out to see in Humber Bay tomorrow
31 December 2006 at 7:45 pm
Forgot to mention-love the coots great pics and commenting and btw jennimi I LOVE the Waxwings and the Catbirds!
31 December 2006 at 7:46 pm
@ Randy, never heard of them called Mudhens! Very cute!
@ Nature Woman – nope, not going up to buffalo for the birds, I am not a big chaser! But, do think its cool that they are there! BTW: No one has seen the MEW since it was first reported!
@ Marg, Harlequin would be a lifer for me! Although I had some people that were heading up to Niag. fall that wanted me to go with them but I had something else that I needed to do. We will work it out one of these days!
1 January 2007 at 10:12 am
Now I’ve seen Coots too! The best part of just beginning birding is everything is a lifer in for me. So I didn’t see the Harlequin, I did see all those others-and they were all lifers too-lol!
Tomorrow we’ll try for the Woodpecker again 😀
1 January 2007 at 9:37 pm
@ Marg – LOL, I remember those days! Now I am fighting for a lifer! But, if I took a trip out west, they would be much easier! Too bad about the Harlequin- that would have been a lifer for me! Next time your in Niagara – USA, go searching for that Razorbill that has been down there for the past month!
2 January 2007 at 10:46 pm
Love the shots of the Coot, Mon@rch! I got to see my first one a couple of weeks ago whilst walking my dogs at an Erie Canal overflow inlet in Fairport, NY. I wouldn’t have seen it at all, but one my dogs inadvertently flushed it when he approached the bank. I think the dog was as surprised as the Coot!
3 January 2007 at 10:31 pm
I would have loved to seen that! I bet it was “Cute”!
3 January 2007 at 10:38 pm
I need to know if anyone knows what the coots eat because my husband and I rescue animals and we rescued a coot that got hit by a car and it has to heal up before we return it but I need to know what they eat so we can feed it?
2 December 2007 at 8:28 am