American Coot

This coot was paddling along energetically pecking at the water, left and right and all around. I thought maybe it

In last weekend’s rainstorm this American Coot demonstrated the ability to grab quick bites under adverse circumstances. The low tide

The North Basin water this morning lay like a mirror. For a photographer that’s an irresistible temptation to shoot two

Earlier in the summer — or late in the spring — I reported on birds that had missed the migration

In recent years I’ve seen a small population of American Coots — maybe five or six — all year round.

Restaurants that serve small plates (“tapas”) offer a heavy feast compared to what this mudflat offers the American Coot (Fulica

The coot population has exploded in the past few weeks. The one or small handful of year-round residents is hosting

Last year, there were times when American Coots held big family reunions numbering many dozens. Then their ranks thinned and

The Coot convention of a week ago snowballed into a Coot mega-flock larger than any I’ve seen them achieve. There

The resident year-round population of four or five American Coots exploded this week as more than two dozen migrants flew

The Coots that stay here year round — and this year that’s been only three or four, as far as

This pair of American Coots look to be year-round residents of the park. At low tide on this day, they

So many birds go north in the summer that the waters of the North Basin east of the park sometimes

These American Coots live in the rocks around the Open Circle viewpoint.  The two in this video are part of