Do coots laugh? I don’t know for sure, but that’s certainly what this American Coot (Fulica americana) seemed to be doing when I spotted him on Monday morning at Huntley Meadows Park.
A bit later in the day, when the direction of the light was less harsh, I saw some more coots and was able to capture an image that shows more accurately the color of the coot’s body and its eerie red eyes.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Advertisements
I’ve noticed the coots gathering for migration in the past week. In the marina where I work, there were typically five or six. Suddenly, there were a dozen, and yesterday there were over twenty. It’s a sure sign of spring. One day, they’ll just be gone. They migrate mostly at night, which helps to explain the sudden disappearance.