American Coots

I really like American Coots (Fulica americana), also called Common Moorhens. There always seems to be lots of them around, and they are fun to watch. This group was busy diving for aquatic vegetation, and you can see the droplets of water on their waterproof feathers. A couple of them even have some vegetation dangling from there beaks.

I have tried to investigate the origin of the word “coot” without much success. Dictionaries always list two meanings…one meaning refers to the bird and the other usage is for a cantankerous person, usually an older one. I myself have been addressed as an “old coot”.