It must be FALL!

  Seasons change a bit differently down here in the South.  Unlike the dramatic changes elsewhere, things do not change that much.  One season sort of drags into the next in the Deep South.  Granted our nights are a bit cooler being in the 70s instead of 90s but the days still reach quite toasty temperatures. I cannot complain, though, as it all suits me just fine.  

  I can honestly say that fall must be here.  Leaves are starting to drop from the trees, the "Naked Ladies" (Guernsey spider lilies or Nerine Lilies) are blooming and the coots are back.  Yep, the Coots are back. One flock of the birds flew in late last evening and were hanging about the pier this morning.  These birds amuse me.  They huddle together so closely that it is hard to distinguish where one bird ends and another begins.  This is a defensive method which protects them against many predators.  It must be confusing to anything that wishes to dine on Coot.  From a distance they do indeed look like one gigantic, pulsating blob.

  The American Coot is another waterfowl that does not have webbed feet. These birds can swim really well without the webs. Their toes are similar to the Pied-billed Grebe's.  Each toe is flared like a little paddle making it easy for the bird to swim.  

  Now for another little known bit of trivia about the coots.  They are kleptomaniacs!  Not really.  Sort of....maybe.  The actual term for their trait is kleptoparasitic.  When a coot is too lazy to hunt for its food, it is not above stealing it from another bird.  If it is easier and quicker to steal, they will jump (errrr...swim) at the chance.  And speaking of food, Coots have an almost entirely plant based diet.  They eat a lot of aquatic plants.  They can be found waddling about the mudflats and shorelines in search of any tidbit of plant.  I suppose we have just found a vegetarian bird!  Welcome back, Coots!

Under the pier

Ms. Ez and I braved the coolness (no cold weather here on the Bayou) to head to the pier early this morning.  Just as we neared the water's edge, there was much fluttering and splashing under the pier.  Hmmm?  There was definitely a critter under there!  I stopped and motioned for Ezzy to sit and stay.  The old dog can read hand motions as well, if not better, than verbal commands.  She immediately dropped down to her haunches and stayed put.  I eased closer to see what was making such a commotion.  All of a sudden, a black blur swooshed out from under the pier and across the water!  Ahhh, a coot!  Yep, an American Coot had spent the night under our pier.  Here, it was out of danger from most critters and had a good shelter from the brisk wind.  This was one smart bird!

A few days ago, my brother made mention that the "loons" had flown into the area. He said there were hundreds of them!  That in itself should have told me something was amiss.  Rarely have I ever seen more than a dozen or so loons around the Bayou but coots, on the other hand, seem to band together in large numbers.  The medium sized, black birds huddle together for safety.  It seems to confuse larger predators.  Still, this coot was alone.  It had sought the safety that the pier provided and the old dog and I had disturbed its rest.

Instead of flying across the Bay to escape our intrusion, the bird merely flew (splashed) a good thirty feet before alighting on the water again.  There it swam in tight circles as it eyed the two of us.  Ms. Ez and I made our way to the bench to watch the sunrise but that bird caught our attention more than anything else.  I do believe it was just as interested in us as we were it.  Never once did it seem unduly frightened which made me happy.  I like having the waterfowl around and hope this one stays put for the winter.  It is a pretty, little thing!

The "Old Coot"..

A bit of advice...don't call someone an "Old Coot" unless you are prepared to get a dirty look, chewed out or a poke in the eye! It is not at all the nicest of compliments as it usually refers to a cantankerous, rude or contrary person. Although, I can truly say that I know of quite a few "Old Coots", I think the moniker is totally unfair! The name is derived from the American Coot and I find this bird far from being a surly or cranky critter! Today, especially, did the bird not seem to fit the general idea behind the belittling nickname.

This evening when on the pier, I saw what appeared to be good many ducks huddled together against the chilly wind. I watched curiously as they stayed in a tight wad. Not a one ventured out more than a few feet from the group and when it did, it quickly returned to the huddle. Their dark color, light bills and white undertail parts easily identified these "ducks" as not ducks at all but American Coots. As I watched them, I pondered the fact.."What were these Coots doing?" Were they actually cold? Surely not..it is a balmy 60 degrees..not enough for these guys to seek the warmth of each other. Sure the wind was chilly but..hey..they could always get alee of the wind. Was there a predator nearby and this was a "safety in numbers" ploy? Or were they just really happy to see each other? By reading up on American Coots, I found out that it is actually a defensive ploy. Obviously, they felt there was some danger lurking about..perhaps it was me that they feared. Hmmm..no need to fear me little guys..I won't even call you a derogatory name like "Old Coot"! Instead we will just call you Coots and be happy you are here! (I counted over twenty Coots in this "coverts" ..one of the collective nouns describing a group of Coots!

The American Coot is a strange bird when it comes to being a water bird. It does not have webbed feet! It has lobed feet not unlike those of the Pied-billed Grebe. The bill is not duck-like but more chicken-like and maybe that has something to do with folks calling this a "Marsh Hen". Still, I like the American Coot..it brings a bit of interest to the Bayou.