The Backyard Science group regularly publishes The Daily Bucket, which features observations of the world around us. Insects, weather, meteorites, climate, birds, flowers and anything natural or unusual are among the worthy topics.
Please let us know what is going on around you in a comment. Include, as close as is comfortable for you, where you are located. Each note is a record that we can refer to as we try to understand the patterns that are unwinding around us.
Many of us know the risks of projecting human traits onto the animals we love. In a well-known instance, bear enthusiast Timothy Treadwell thought he had gained the trust of Grizzly Bears in Alaska, until the bears ate him. German director Werner Herzog documented that tragedy in a 2005 documentary, Grizzly Man.
Continue reading below the dried seaweed for my own concerns about immersing oneself in animals' lives, although that dedication may yield unique information.
My own studies focus on a creature far more modest that the grizzly; the american coot. The following downloaded picture is a Hawaiian coot, which appears indistinguishable from the coots that I see, and is posing attractively, for a coot.
picture
Coots are medium-sized water birds that are members of the Rallidae (rail) family. They constitute the genus Fulica. Coots have predominantly black plumage, and often swim in open water. They are close relatives of the moorhen. (From Wiki)
I work part time at a golf course, carved out of farmland in northwest Oregon, with 4 multi-acre ponds. Lots of coots are always in these ponds. They are kind of goofy looking, and run awkwardly on both land and water rather than fly.
Once a young coot picked up my golf ball and dropped it closer to the hole, prompting my companions to accuse me of training the coot. The young coot probably thought it was a very hard egg. Nonetheless, the coot's assistance warmed my heart, and I began observing the coots very closely over the last year.
This winter, over 100 coots assembled, mostly in one pond, joined by migrating buffleheads and mallards. I believe this is common behavior that I failed to note in years past. Most sources state that West Coast coots migrate, but that some overwinter in many climates.
In the early winter, I found about a dozen unchewed coot corpses, with no evidence of an attack. Oregon Fish & Game lost the dead coot I brought to them and did not test it, even though they asked for a sample. Predators, probably coyotes, soon consumed the the other dead coots.
The coots have often crowded into one particular pond in past years. Dozens of coots then move east into the grass and graze in a fairway, cleverly staying beyond the distance that most golfers can hit their drive. If your drive scatters the coots, you hit it unusually good. Coots are very rarely struck by a golf ball, just once in 14 years in my own observations.
This Spring, most coots left, and probably did so in prior years when I did not closely observe them.
About a dozen coot couples have stayed and are tending eggs and their young. I have increased surveillance of these coots.
I admire the coots' mechanical ability to construct a teepe-shaped nest out of cat tails. Literature sources state that coots usually built several nests; one for eggs, one for young, and perhaps another where the grown-ups can get away from the kids.
Literature describes the coos unkindly. Studies allege that parent coots tire of their chicks, and kill off/drive away any more than four, and/or abandon the remaining eggs after the first few hatch. The luckiest baby coots sport a colorful plume that the parents' favor, whom they then allow to live.
I can say the pictured nest had more than 4 eggs, but there are only 4 baby coots with the parents currently. But those parents seem loving. In the following picture, the parent coot is feeding a water plant to its chick.
Here is a look at a sample of the prevalent water plants that the coots feast on. It looks like the stuff I used to put in aquariums. They dive for this stuff, often remaining underwater for close to a minute.
The coots usually seem skittish and flee upon human approach, so I was surprised to find the following nesting site. First I photographed a happy mallard family, which I also pictured a month ago. Please note the coot streaming towards them.
The coot surprised me with the vehemence of its attack, which split up the mallard covey. The coot them honed in on a single duckling who broke away, alone from the others, until mom mallard intervened. The coot's singling out of the duckling seemed unprovoked.
I realized the coots must have a nest nearby, but it would be right next to a heavily traveled golf green, contrary to my prior opinion that coots were kinda shy. Look where it nested.
Here's what is right near that yellow stake, not ten yards from the golf green with a constant stream of loud and obnoxious golfers.
When I started googling coots, I found a link to a fellow who boats on a San Diego pond, and feeds the coots. He pets the coots. He's named the coots. He thinks folks should feed bread to the coots.
On the other hand, he's carefully cataloged the coots' calls, provided citations, and discussed their posturing and behavior. I am grateful to this fellow for his work. I hope to verify it and build on it. I don't know why his blog makes me feel uneasy. Here's his link. I'd greatly appreciate your feedback. I'd hate to see him (or me) end up in a Herzog film about "Coot Man."
http://www.beakycoot.com/...
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"Spotlight on Green News & Views" will be posted every Saturday and Wednesday at 1:00 pm Pacific Time on the Daily Kos front page. Be sure to recommend and comment in the diary.
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Now It's Your Turn What's interesting to you? Please post your own observations and your general location in the comments.
Thank you for reading. I'll respond to comments around lunchtime, PDT.