american coot

"Diving technique". Needs some patience and many tries to get the shot, they're pretty unpredictable.

This cute coot surprised me at the pond by my place. I usually don't see coots there. What a great surprise!

Would make a nice story if the early European explorers had thought they'd reached India because even the birds wore bindis ;)

For some reason the words to the old song sung by Frank Sinatra and images of the old Schnoz come to mind when I see these little American Coots.

American Coot (Fulica americana subsp. americana) Sexes similar. Old Travis B. Bryan Municipal Golf Course. Country club lake at ca. 91 m (ca. 300 ft) elevation. Bryan, Brazos County, Texas, USA. Post Oak Savannah Vegetational Area. Shallow lake.

American Coot (Fulica americana subsp. americana) Sexes similar. The troublemaker. Leonabelle Turnbull Nature Center, Port Aransas, Nueces County, Texas, USA. Coastal marsh plus a thin gallery forest against a coastal marsh with a boardwalk leading into the marsh.

American Coot (Fulica americana subsp. americana) Sexes similar. Mother and fledgeling. Leonabelle Turnbull Nature Center, Port Aransas, Nueces County, Texas, USA. Coastal marsh plus a thin gallery forest against a coastal marsh with a boardwalk leading into the marsh.

Another from one of my trips to Purdue Pond Wildlife Management Area. These birds are normally wary of people, but this one was in the mood to get its photo taken. This particular pond holds lots of ducks during the winter. You can always count on seeing County rarities here then, like the Snow...

I tried lightening up his black head, which sort of worked. With a lot of lightening I could bring out his eye and more plumage detail, but then he looked quite washed out so I decided to stay with him quite dark. Even though that hides his eye, I'm hoping the striking water patterns compensate.

... their own good? words? Your pun is as good as mine. Feel free to finish it yourself. Purportedly there was a leucistic coot about, but I never saw it.

An American Coot wading through clear, shallow water over orthogonal mudcracks at Green Cay Wetlands, Boynton Beach, Florida.

The Coots have just now stated to arrive on my favorite lake for the winter.

Not a great shot. It wasn't until a couple of shots later that I got the settings right for the day, and by then the coot was too far away.

This has been the first year that I have seen these birds. The first post of the coot I posted was a lifer for me.

At the reserve, I am lucky to see all different kinds of birds. Last year at this time, I was lucky to see a couple of these.

Here is another lifer for me. This bird was not very skiddish. I was able to get very close and watch it for some time.

Those submerged plants were on dry land last week. Heavy rains earlier this week gave us a larger, deeper lake.