At this time of the year I often see large groups of ducks, often referred to as “rafts” because the ducks gather so closely together, in the waters off of Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Frequently there are different species of ducks intermixed, though in my experience there is usually a dominant species.
In later November, I spotted a large group of American Coots (Fulica americana) during a visit to the refuge, as you can see in the first photo below. Coots are pretty easy to identify because of the shape and color of their bills. In addition to the coots, a number of Ruddy Ducks (Oxyura jamaicensis) were part of the raft. I encourage you to click on the image to get a better look at the individual birds.
Technically, coots are not ducks, though, because they have lobed rather than webbed feet. The coots that day were too far away for me to get a shot of their feet, so I am instead including a photo I took in April 2017 that shows those lobed feet and the coot’s distinctive red eyes.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Wow, Mike! I can’t believe I’m just seeing a coot for the first time. Thank you for sharing (and teaching!). Beautiful!
Thanks. I think I personally am now old enough to qualify as an old coot, i.e. “a foolish or eccentric person, typically an old man.” 🙂
What always amazes me about coots (and this is again obvious in your photo) is how long the claws are on their feet! They seem much longer than what I’d imagine a bird of their size needs… no doubt there’s a reason… do you know why?
I am not sure why the coots have such long claws. Perhaps it helps them with traction when they are walking.