Two days ago I had a blast photographing American Coots attempting to negotiate very thin ice on a local pond. In order for the following photos to make much sense to my readers I need to describe the situation with the ice.
There was basically an “island” of ice in the middle of the pond that pretty much divided the pond in two. There were coots on both sides of the ice and occasionally one of them would decide that it wanted to be on the other side of the ice. They never flew across the ice – instead they always chose to cross it on foot but coots don’t like being on top of the ice because they’re so vulnerable to predators there. Eagles, falcons, harriers and other hawks would love to pick a coot off the top of the ice where it can’t dive to escape, and coots know that. So when they’d cross the ice they would always run, as if the devil himself were chasing it.
But the other problem that the coots faced was that the ice was almost paper-thin so they’d sometimes fall through it, especially at the edges. So they’d typically run across the middle of the ice but walk very slowly and carefully at the edges. It was obvious that they didn’t want to fall through the ice, especially while they were running full speed.
Sometimes they were coming in my direction and other times they were running the opposite direction so some of these photos are butt shots, or nearly so. But I still think they’re interesting and fun.
This coot had already run across the ice toward me and was nearing its edge that you can see in front of ‘him’, so he slowed down to a very careful walk. Even with those huge feet to spread his weight out on the ice he knew he was in danger of falling through it, especially as he got close to its very edge.
One more step and his right foot is already beginning to bend the very thin ice at its edge.
That step was all it took as his right foot began to go through the ice.
Bet he fell slowly through the ice, probably exactly as he’d planned to or at least hoped for. Mission accomplished.
But when ice is involved, things don’t always go that smoothly.
This coot had the opposite problem. He was trying to climb up onto the ice from the water so he could run across it but the ice was so thin it kept breaking in front of him.
Here you can see that he’s broken off a small shelf of ice directly in front of him. That same thing kept happening to him so eventually he gave up, turned around, and went back to the open water.
This is a different coot a short while later attempting to do the same thing. He kept trying to get his huge feet up on the ice without breaking it but…
he was having very little luck.
Here you can see a piece of broken, angled ice right in front of him and how thin it is. At this point he’d given up trying to get his feet up on the ice so that his weight would be supported. Instead, he was just plowing through the ice like an icebreaker as he tried to get to thicker ice.
21 photos later he’d given up trying to climb up onto the ice using just his legs and feet, so he used his wings to pop up onto the ice and begin to run across it. He popped up so unexpectedly and so high I cut off both of his wings.
But now he had about 75′ of ice to cross where he was vulnerable to predators so he really turned on his afterburners.
At one point he nearly went ass over teakettle on the very slippery ice but he recovered and made it safely to the edge of the ice that we can see in the background. He had his back to me when he entered the water so I stopped taking photos.
I took several other photo series of coots climbing up onto the ice and running across it but they’re very similar to these two so I’m not including any of those shots.
At one point I made a stupid mistake, pushed the wrong button on my camera, and took some video without even knowing I’d done it. After much thought about whether I should or not, I’m including a link to that clip below but it needs some explanation before you watch it.
- The video hasn’t been edited at all so it’s complete from beginning to end. I did not cut the sound off at the end of the clip. The video was over by then. Convenient timing, I know…
- You’ll hear some heavy breathing on my part, due to the fact that my lungs are still congested from being sick recently. My voice is also hoarse. The traffic noise you hear in the background is from a nearby freeway.
- Beginning at about 28 seconds, the coot climbing up on the ice and beginning to run across it is pretty typical of what the coots in these photos were doing.
- I was angry at the very end of the clip because it wasn’t until that point that I’d realized that my camera wasn’t taking photos when I wanted it to. Instead it was taking video but I didn’t even know I’d taken any video until I got home and downloaded my memory card to my computer.
Here’s a link to the video, if you choose to watch it.
I may or may not have said what you might think I said immediately after the video cuts off at the end.
I take the fifth.
Ron
That was so nice and thoughtful love you Ron to dedicate that video to your mother.
The voice recognition software on this phone leaves a lot to be desired. I need to read my post before I hit comment.
Coots—from their name to their feet—always make me laugh.
Thanks Ron! Such a fun series – the video too! 🤣🤣🤣
Glad you liked them both, Laura.
Ron, you know how much I love American Coots! Seeing them try to traverse ice is always gives me a giggle. 😍 The shots of the ultra-thin ice bending, breaking, etc. are extra special.
The video is priceless for so many reasons. That is the most perfect “cut” I’ve ever seen or heard. 😂😂😂 And of COURSE you didn’t swear — there is neither visual nor audio evidence of any blue language. 😉 (Actually, I’d love to see more coot vs. ice video — even if it’s on purpose.)
“That is the most perfect “cut” I’ve ever seen or heard.”
I thought so too, Marty. I couldn’t believe the timing.
I went down there again today, hoping to shoot more video of them in ice (on purpose this time), but the ice had all melted.
Hopefully, there will be another time during which the conditions are as ripe as the language. 😈
Hi, Just wanted to let you know my laptop crashed for 10 days, so have not seen your posts for a while. Nothing could be saved from my hard drive this time, so starting over from zero, never thought that would happen.
Now that’s a real bummer, Trudy. So sorry but welcome back.
Very late getting to see your post today, but a big thank you for the laughs!
Their feet are the weirdest things – they look like giant caterpillars clumped together.
“they look like giant caterpillars clumped together”
They sorta do, don’t they Carolyn. Thanks.
Now that is something I will never see, and am so very grateful for the series (and the video).
And of course you didn’t swear. I would have. Loudly.
“And of course you didn’t swear.”
Not that you heard anyway… :). Thanks, EC.
These are great shots. Laugh out loud! Their feet kind of freak me out. Very odd looking. And the video is great.
Thank you, Kathryn.
Fun photo and video series! Very amusing! A bit of video and cursing occasionally is welcome.
Thanks, Brett. Sometimes, more often than just occasionally…
Very amusing! You captured all the real action with your stills. Would not blame you for cussing (but of course you didn’t) when you realized some were for naught.
“but of course you didn’t’”
Of course not, Kenneth. Cussing goes against my grain… 🙂
Beautiful and educational post Ron. One of the most ignored members of nature by photographers. Nature’s food supply for the eagles and Harriers etc. I love watching them. At our lakes whenever I hear that loud whoosh as hundreds of ducks and coots simultaneously fly off I know there is an eagle strafing them.
I just recently read an article about how ducks keep warm while standing on ice. Nature takes care of it of course. They have a counter current heat exchange system in their legs. Veins and arteries in the leg are close to each other, and as warm blood leaves the body, it heats up the cold blood returning to the body.
I’ll bet you probably taught that back in 9th grade.
“I’ll bet you probably taught that back in 9th grade.”
Not to my 9th graders, Everett. My 9th graders were always in Honors Biology so I stuck to the biology curriculum for them, which didn’t include such things.
But I did cover it with the juniors and seniors in my zoology and Utah Wildlife classes.
Between the photos and the video, I am here sitting in the quiet early morning trying not to laugh too loud as to wake up my wife. That was fun. Thanks for sharing, all of it.
That 3rd photo is both interesting and quite beautiful; the glassy water and the way the foot has created that depression.
Some of those other photos are great shots too. Some are quite comical as well.
Miichael, apologize to your wife for me if you wake her up. 🙂
😁 No worries. She slept through it all.
TOO much fun! 🙂 The 2nd to last photo brought “skaters away….” to mind. Video fun even if NOT what you planned – a laugh at the end of course……… 😉 At least the coots all “made it” across…….
About 8″ of snow on the ground – light fluffy stuff the wind will have a ball with when it comes……. 🙁 Ground is VERY frozen so I’m sure what little moisture there is will run off rather than go in….
“Not what I planned” is an understatement, Judy. That’s the third time that’s happened since I bought the R5, so you’d think by now I’d immediately know when it’s happening.
Oh thank you, thank you for the laugh with photos and video! A perfect way to start the day, for us who are not coots.
Glad you enjoyed it, Kate. Thank you.
He who shall not be named once (or more than once) said that no one who is innocent would take the fifth. (Of course that was before the many depositions during which he took the fifth over and over and over.)
I loved this whole post, but the video made me laugh out loud. Poor little coots.
Sue, while writing this post I had a very hard time avoiding making a reference to “he who shall not be named”. It was close but I succeeded…
Thanks for a very fun group! Love those darn coots and the video.
Thank you, Joanne.
I’m in a waiting room to get my TSA pre check and my chortling is making heads turn in my direction!!!! Thx for the laugh!
How did you know it was a female?
I don’t. I don’t believe I ever said one of these coots was a female.
I referred to them as males by calling them ‘he’ in single quotes which is my practice when I don’t really know the sex.
It was a joke. You called him a mother…
“You called him a mother”
Actually I didn’t, Burrdoo. What I said was directed toward my camera, that I thought was malfunctioning. I was angry at my camera, not the coot. But I get your point.
Your video was delightful. I’m still chuckling.
Good. Thanks, Kellie.
“Fun with coots on ice”– when I read your title I had a mental
vision–with music–of something like a Fantasia dance sequence,
and this photos were pretty close to that–those snowshoe like
feet ARE good for ice-skating, provided the ice is thick enough !
Fun to watch, indeedy–and I hope your lungs are clearing now…..
Thanks, Kris. My lungs have been very slow to clear up. With this bug it takes some folks over a month before they breathe normally and lose the hoarseness.
Cool photos and video. They are definitely fun to watch on the ice. I think their bigger feet may help distribute the weight a bit. I feel your pain at the end of the clip!
Thanks, Bruce. I wasn’t a happy photographer at the end of the video.
This series is wonderful, and it just proved something: I’ll laugh at coots in photos as well as in real life. They’re such funny, adorable birds. I never tire of them.
Shoreacres, there arent many birds I’d rather photograph than coots on ice or when they’re fighting.