| There
are pretty slim pickins' on my walks lately. The skies are often dark,
the water level threatens to flood the trails and there is not much wildlife
around. I must say I've enjoyed watching the funny American Coots. 'The waterborne American Coot is one good reminder that not everything that floats is a duck. A close look at a coot—that small head, those scrawny legs—reveals a different kind of bird entirely... They’re closer relatives of the gangly Sandhill Crane than of Mallards...' From [All About Birds] They are great defenders of their turf - ermmm - pond area. Last week I had a ring-side seat for one of their territorial demonstrations. |
Alert! Alert! Strangers approaching to the east!
Oh gee - I'd better get down into Stealth mode and try to look scary.
Hey you! You're trespassing. This is OUR pond!
Oh surely there's room for both of us!
Nope! Get ready for some action!
You get ready too! I can do that as well, smartypants!
Yeah, but here's the winner! Now go away...please.
There's another pond just over the road.
Hey what do I see here? Birdseed? Really?
My yoga training really comes in handy sometimes.
| I continue
to be fascinated by the American Coot's feet. I think they are lovely.
'Although
it swims like a duck, the American Coot does not have webbed feet like
a duck. Instead, each one of the coot’s long toes has broad lobes
of skin that help it kick through the water. The broad lobes fold back
each time the bird lifts its foot, so it doesn’t impede walking on
dry land, though it supports the bird’s weight on mucky ground.'
[All
About Birds] I wonder if they ever wish that they had duck feet?
My mission is to get a picture of this: 'To get airborne, coots typically have to beat their wings while running across the water for many yards.' |