American Coots are among the most belligerent birds in North America.
Their pugnacious attitude provides the photographer with some wonderful opportunities but you have to be quick and capable of anticipating their behaviors to have any chance at success. Coots often fight and they regularly chase each other across the water but for a whole slew of reasons those chases are difficult to photograph well. But if we pay attention to behaviors we can often anticipate a chase and be ready for it and that’s a big part of the key to success.
1/3200, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
Two days ago I watched as this bird and another coot fed peacefully in the water right next to each other. Their behaviors suggested that they were probably a bonded pair so at first I didn’t anticipate there would be any excitement involving either one of them. But then I noticed this bird lower its head and neck flat on the water and raise its stubby tail into an aggressive posture so I looked to my left and spotted another coot approaching the pair. Figuring there might be a fight or at least a chase I had to quickly choose one of the three coots to train my lens on. This time I got lucky and chose the right one.
In a flash the angry coot rose out of the water and started chasing the interloper. In most of my shots of the chase I was always trying to catch up with the bird (they run very fast) so the coot was usually too close to the left edge of the frame for acceptable composition. But I do like this one because the composition works, I have pretty good detail, the bird is plenty sharp enough and I really like the running posture. In addition this is one of the few times I’ve noticed the alula on the wing of a coot.
However I did have one dilemma with the image. There were gulls on the water behind the coot and the bright white reflection of one of them poked down into the frame at upper right. That reflection was terribly distracting so I was faced with the choice of living with it or cloning it out. As you can see I was seduced by the clone tool. I don’t do that very often and when I do I always disclose having done it but I still don’t feel very good about it. But dammit that reflection was irritating!
Lots of folks mostly ignore coots and I think that’s a mistake. If nothing else photographing their belligerent behaviors is a wonderful way for the photographer to improve his/her skills.
Ron
OK, I’m guilty of not paying much attention to them beyond encouraging Mariah to catch one (or several) while we lived in Dallas, then again in Fort Worth a couple of years later. She declined for reasons known only to her. And we’re not living around coots anymore, or ducks, or pheasants, and she changed her mind about those last two critters, so who knows? LOL!
Laura, Maybe Mariah agreed with duck hunters about how coots taste! 🙂
I’ve heard they’re fatty and greasy (from other falconers). Ah but hawk-caught duck for Christmas dinner is sublime, not to mention fresh hawk-caught pheasant!
Ron, I can almost envision the scene you describe because of your great photo and verbal description. It sounds like coots are some feisty birds.
And YAH, it is snowing at our house, and supposedly yours. More driveway clearing is in your future.
The mountains have received 6″ in the last 24 hours and expect 3-5″ today. Many snowy days are forecast for this week. Finally some snow for us.
Yes, things have certainly changed, Alice. It’s been snowing lightly here all morning.
Beautiful pic! I love coots. We don’t get a lot up in my neighbor hood so I love when I see them. Love when I get a chance to photograph them.
Thank you, Joanne.
Super shot, Ron! I love coots. They’re so much fun to watch — lobed toes, sassy attitude, and all!
Sassy attitude is right, Marty. Thank you.
Great shot Ron! I don’t have one shot or have I ever tried to get a shot of a Coot. OK, put me in that category of ignoring coots, however my only defense is that where I live we don’t see coots or at least when I used to live in an area where there might be a coot around, I didn’t try! So I’m guilty!
Now, will I pay more attention when I’m out and about with my camera and long lens, absolutely!! But, don’t put a lot of faith in seeing one. There is always a chance! Never say Never!
You could always come here for them, Dick. We have oodles of them year around.
I have to say in response that for a long time I had a slightly different view in my head of Utah that has definitely been changed for the better by you. I certainly would love to see some of the views you have shown in your photographs, but health and mobility can be issues. For the time being I’ll be content to dream, pick up a cup of coffee and enjoy immensely your blog!!
Ron – Ignoring coots is right. I so often pass them up while shooting pics of ducks, but every once in a while I will see them doing something really funny or strange and take some pictures. But they certainly ignored by most wildlife photographers.
Great picture.
Everett Sanborn, Prescott AZ
Thank you, Everett.
As a life long student and admirer of body language and non-verbal communication, I love this shot. If this guy was pointed at me, I would get out of the water, quickly!
“If this guy was pointed at me, I would get out of the water, quickly”
That’s exactly what the other coot did, Porcupine!
I always appreciate another look at those wonderful lobed toes! Thanks, Ron!
Yup, they’re some of the stranger looking feet in the bird world, Diane.
Hi Ron,
Great image, as always. And, I agree with your statement, “Lots of folks mostly ignore coots…”. For years, I have been thinking about forming the Coot Appreciation Club of America, or “CACA”. I have asked, but for some reason, many do not want to be in CACA. Not sure why.
Cheers,
Dick
PS One could take this subject even deeper and pile it on, so to speak, but I leave that to others…
Tempting, so tempting, Dick…
I’d join — for more than one reason!
I’m in Dick! Don’t forget that CACAs happen 😉
Neat photo! I truly like your honesty in your blog postings! The pictures are terrific but your comments draw me in…plus your ‘settings reveal’ is something I always check. I will compare them to ‘similar’ photos I have taken and see where I erred. Hope that was your intention with your blog! 🙂
Kathy, My “intention” is that including my settings should be helpful to my readers. How they’re useful doesn’t matter to me. Thanks for the kind words.
GREAT shot, Ron! 🙂 It’s REALLY going for it! I can see where the white gull would cause a problem…………. 😉 Around here it’s usually been “damn coots” generally coming from a duck hunter in a boat waiting for ducks and….. 😉 I’ve never given them much thought – suspect I will now! 🙂
Yup, hunters don’t like them much, Judy. Apparently they don’t taste good and folks often refer to them derisively as “mud hens”, possibly because they taste like mud?
I’ve just been introduced to your blog, and find your notes as helpful as your images are compelling. I live on the Texas coast, where the arrival and departure of coots marks the season. I think they’re wonderful birds, and can’t get enough of them. I have only one very poor image of them in flight, but hope for another chance when they leave this spring. And, yes: their chases are wonderful.
Getting a coot in flight is an accomplishment because they don’t fly very often. I have only a couple of mediocre flight shots of coots. Thanks, Shoreacres.