Nestbuilding at the pool

[NotQuiteBlackCoot]

As well as feeding our garden bird population, I also feed down at a pool, about a mile away from home. It is very beautiful down there (ok not so good when it's -10 but even more important I go then)
It's not a huge expanse of water. At the moment the regulars have been back for a couple of months and are settling down to become ancestors. ie The pair of coots started to nest build last Thursday (30th March) and seem to have completed their state of the art nest yesterday. No more carrying about of branches and piles of leaves anymore anyway. Now the moorhens are at it. Same carrying of oversize twigs that are almost branches and leaves to make it look more professional. Not that you can see the moorhen's nest as it's hidden behind a tree. But I know which one now, so I can keep an eye on their progress into parenthood 2006. Last year their chicks were juveniles before I saw them. They're across the pool, both coots & moorhens. I have no intention of going round there, and I doubt if anyone else will notice the nests. Even the coots have hidden theirs pretty well ; to the casual obseror it's invisible. So I'm looking forwars to the chicks squaking away in about 3 weeks time. It's nailbiting stuff though. Last year the coots lost their first brood of 3. One by one they just died, not from predators and the coots were excellent parents. Maybe congenital defect. But their 2nd brood was more successful. 4 hatched and 2 made it through to adult plumage. One stayed most of the winter, all alone except for a couple of mallards and the 2 moorhens, but he left when the pool iced over completely. Shortly after that the parents returned within a couple of weeks of each other.
Sorry I'm rambling on. Now you know why I'm called NotQuiteBlackCoot. I just love those crazy, stroppy little birds.
The pool does also act as a refueling place for passing birds. Mute swans, usually alone, but once 3, drop in for a day or two, pochards, 3 the other day, and greylag geese, alone or once a pair.
Just thought I'd tell you that as well as all the stuff about the coots.

[NotQuiteBlackCoot]

Latest update on those coots.
I was thinking it was about time to start looking for chicks, perhaps by end of this week, when yesterday there were 2 on the water, close to nest, another not quite sure if it liked the water and I'm sure a fourth peeping out from under mum.
Today 3 on the water and being fed by Dad. No sign of a fourth but mum still sitting, so I think there's at least one more, hopefully more. 4 is not that many for coots. They usually lay 6-10 eggs, though I've never known this pair (if it is the same pair every year) have more than 4 chicks hatched.
So well done coots...keep it up.
Say what you like about them, they're excellent devoted parents.
I spotted a moorhen carting branches to what must be a new nestsite yesterday. I knew they'd abandoned their last one. As far as I can make out this site looks a better one. So good luck wishes to them too.
By the way, all this observation is done from across the pool from where the nests & chicks are, through binoculars. No way would I go anywhere near them, or even tell anyone where they are.

[NotQuiteBlackCoot]

A further update on the coot family.
Today, when I got to the pool, there was the whole family, out in the middle of the water, and there were SEVEN, yes, seven chicks! On their first full family outing, I suspect.
A record for this pair of coots, if it is the same pair who come every year.
How I wish I'd had my camera with me! The chicks,so tiny, stayed clustered around mum, whilst dad brought food to them. Mum was feeding them too. Then she took them all back to the nest. No alarm, just time for their nap, I suppose!
I feel so privileged to have seen them all.
Only one moorhen about so hopefully the other was sitting on a clutch of eggs.
Beside the pool was the usual assortment of finches, tree sparrows, siskins & co.
Yep, it's good to be alive on such a day and sharing the Earth with all her wonderful creatures. (Sorry, just having a druid moment there!)

[Kerry L]

I think they are cute when they are tiny and fluffy. I enjoyed your David Attenborough bit!:)
Regards, Kerry

[NotQuiteBlackCoot]

Thanks Kerry :-)
We managed to get some pictures on Monday so I'll try to post them onto the forum, or rather I'll get someone who knows what they're doing to do it. Maybe I'll even remember how it's done for another time. Though miracles do take a little longeer, they do say!

[Kerry L]

Hi again, just write down instructions as you go - my husband is hopeless at showing me how to do things on the computer. He does it so fast, that I get lost along the way, so when I need to find out how to do things I write it down. He gets frustrated at having to go at a slower pace, but it works for me. As you do things more often, you won't need to refer after a while.
Good luck, Kerry

[NotQuiteBlackCoot]

Coot family all doing well. Chicks are growing well, and feeding themselves a lot of the time if Mum & Dad are too slow. Dad (I suppose it is anyway-could be gender casting) spends a lot of his time chasing the inoffensive mallard pair. There's lots of little insects for the chicks on the water surface. Its so good all 7 are looking fit and well after last year's tragedies. They're looking bigger already, but still red and black. I think their new feathers will start to appear in about a week or so.
Moorhens must still be sitting on their new nest as only one is ever swimming about. There was a bit of nest repairing going on today.
The coots have made a little open mini-nest for their infants to rest in during the day, amongst some irises near where to I throw their swan & duck food treats. So there could be some good pictures to put on the forum. Must get around to it this weekend.

[NotQuiteBlackCoot]

http://files.photojerk.com/NQBC/CootFamily.jpg

Here at last is a picture of The Coot Family, all present and correct!

[Carol]

Hi NotQuiteBlackCoot.

Brilliant picture - looking forward to seeing some more! Glad babies are all well.

Regards

Carol

[Ben]

Hello NotQuiteBlackCoot,
Nice family picture,hope you might get more pictures as they grow,

Ben.

[Jenny]

Great photo! It's lovely to see coots again - they're not that common here!

[Emma]

That's a lovely family photo, NQBC.

[Kerry L]

Great photo, looking forward to seeing more piccies of them growing up
Regards, Kerry:)

[Simple Pleasures]

Helloo, I was just on the internet trying to find out about Coots, and how long they stay on the nest for. I have a couple nesting on my boat( twelve eggs) and today I noticed three chicks (faces only a mother could love), and thought they look too young to come out of the nest. I have photos too......

[Barbara Jane]

Loved the pics and enjoyed the story, how lovely to have the waternearby,its alway exciting to see these birds and their chicks. Congrats!

Barbara Jane

[NotQuiteBlackCoot]

Helloo, I was just on the internet trying to find out about Coots, and how long they stay on the nest for.

How wonderful having coots, or any bird for that matter, nesting on your boat.
Coots sit for about 3 weeks, well between 21-24 days. Male & female share the sitting, and parenting once the chicks are out and about. The female broods the newly hatched chicks for 1-3 days before they are taken out onto the water by "Dad."
Yes I have to agree they are not beauties. Certainly wouldn't win a bonny baby competition. But as they develop their juvenile feathers they do become quite pretty. Look out for a few white feathers developing on their chests.
Sadly the father of our little family was missing for a week, towards the end of May, then we found his sad little body floating by the nest. The next day two chicks were gone. That was a sad time for us. But Mum and remaining 5 chicks are doing well. About a week after this I spotted a coot sitting in the grass by the pool, weighing up the situation. I was concerned that he (presume it was a male) might attack the chicks, especially if the female was interested in him. But I needn't have worried. She must have spent the whole day chasing him around the pool. When I went back that evening to see what was happening she was still "SEEING HIM OFF"! By the next day he'd took the hint and hasn't been back since.
Last week, unexpectedly, 9 tiny ducklings were bobbing and whizzing about amongst the foliage at the far side of the pool. Mother brings them over to where the coots get their swan & duck food, and they all share quite amicably. This wouldn't be the case if the male coot was still around. He wouldn't allow any other birds into his feeding area. The female is quite placid, though she was having a bit of a go at one of her chicks this morning. It didn't seem too serious, and the chicks are nearly as big as Mum now.
There is quite a bit of information and a short video on the RSPB web site. I think it's www.rspb.org.uk (http://www.rspb.org.uk), or you'd find it on google if I've got it wrong.
Sorry to have gone on so long, but it's so good to chat to someone who's interested in the "common coot". Because they're common, and quite aggresive they are almost despised by some, (but no one on this forum, I hasten to add) but I find them fascinating birds. Real characters.
Good luck with your coot family. 12 is a lot of eggs. 6-10 is usual. They'll have their work cut out if they all hatch. I've never seen how many eggs ours lay as their first nest is always across the pool beneath deep overhanging trees. Once the chicks are all brooded and getting stronger they make a new nest, right away from the first one. Sometimes they make a few nests over the weeks.
Look forward to hearing more about your coot family, and seeing the pictures............

Wow! I've just realised I'm discussing one of my favourite birds ie coots, with someone living on the other side of the earth. Wow again, that's so excellent!!! Didn't even realise they lived in Australia.

[Jenny]

What's latest update on coot family??

[NotQuiteBlackCoot]

Mum and 5 chicks still doing well. Mum was giving one of her chicks a bit of help preening its neck the other day. Then another made me laugh. You know how kittens and puppies sometimes chase their tails, well one of the chicks was doing just the same thing, though not for as long. But very comical. The 6 of them are a lovely little family unit, quite close and very chilled. Mum hasn't been cross with any of her youngsters for a while. She has to really compete with them for food now, though sometimes a chick will twist its head round into the food begging position and even may get a bit of food off Mum for its pains. They look a bit daft doing this though as they are very nearly her size. They are still grey and white, but proper black feathers are just beginning to develop at the front of their breasts, where their first white feathers showed when they were still in "baby" plumage.
We took some pictures today, so will put them on as soon as posible.
Sadly haven't seen duck family for a few days. Seems awful that 9 ducklings and mother could have been wiped out in one go, so I prefer to think they've just taken themselves off to another pool not far away. Reluctant to go and look in case they aren't there which would ruin that more optimistic scenario.

[Jenny]

Glad to hear all's well with your adorable family - coots are so rare here, there's only been one on a couple of occasions - I am jealous!!

Sorry to hear about missing duck family. It's always worrying but they do seem to hide away if there's predators around - our really evil brute is mink!