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Photo Information
Copyright: Julia Hollis (Runnerduck) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 439 W: 66 N: 620] (1847)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-05-11
Categories: Birds
Camera: FujiFilm FinePix S5500, Hoya 55mm Cir-Polarizer
Exposure: f/3.1, 1/250 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2005-05-20 6:29
Viewed: 900
Points: 26
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Coot - Fulica atra

The coot, Britain's largest rail species, is a plump water bird; it has a greyish body, a black head, and a white bill, above which there is a prominent white 'frontal shield'. The saying 'as bald as a coot' refers to this frontal plate, as do a number of local names for the species, including 'bald coot' and 'white-faced diver'. Juveniles have whitish areas on the sides of the head, breast and fore neck; the rest of the body is brownish-grey. The young are covered in black down and have red and blue markings on the head. Coots produce a variety of vocalisations, including a loud 'kowk', and a sharp 'pitts'.

Widespread and common throughout Britain, but absent from hilly areas and most parts of northern and western Scotland. Elsewhere, it is found in Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East, through Eurasia, reaching as far east as the Pacific coast of China and Japan. It is also found in Australasia, south-east Asia, and India

Found in most shallow, still or slow-moving freshwater habitats including ponds, lakes, rivers, marshes, gravel pits and reservoirs

The coot feeds on pondweeds and invertebrates; it dives rather clumsily to obtain food, and returns to the surface rapidly thanks to its cork-like buoyancy. Unlike ducks, coots bring their food to the surface before eating it; this results in frequent cases of food stealing. They are opportunistic birds, and may feed in grasslands at certain times of the year. During winter, large flocks may gather on large lakes and reservoirs, these gatherings are relatively peaceful compared to the fierce territorial aggression seen during the breeding season.

The nest, a mound of dead reeds, is usually built amongst emergent vegetation. From mid-March, between 6 and 9 speckled eggs are laid (occasionally up to 15 eggs, though these large clutches may be laid by more than one female. The eggs are incubated by both parents for up to 24 days. The chicks leave the nest a few days after hatching, and reach independence at around 8 weeks of age. Two broods are produced a year, but occasionally a third brood may occur.

(www.arkive.org)


These Coots were part of a large family. Mum, Dad and around nine young.


Thanks for taking the time to look.
Janice, Comandante, Fisher, red45, carper, Robbrown, liquidsunshine, TAZ, dew77, gerhardt, marhowie has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To marhowie: Thank youRunnerduck 1 05-23 06:06
To TAZ: Thank youRunnerduck 1 05-23 06:00
To dew77: Thank youRunnerduck 1 05-23 05:59
To sAner: ThanksRunnerduck 1 05-23 05:59
To gerhardt: ThanksRunnerduck 1 05-23 05:58
To red45: Thank youRunnerduck 1 05-23 05:58
To liquidsunshine: Punked!Runnerduck 1 05-23 05:57
To Robbrown: ThanksRunnerduck 1 05-23 05:57
To Graal: Thank youRunnerduck 1 05-23 05:56
To carper: Thank youRunnerduck 1 05-23 05:54
To Fisher: ThanksRunnerduck 1 05-23 05:54
To Comandante: ThanksRunnerduck 1 05-23 05:53
To Jancie: Thank youRunnerduck 1 05-23 05:52
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Critiques [Translate]

Wow! Look at mum steaming along at full tilt, and those ugly little babes following so well behind her. I can't believe how the young are so different from their parents.
Great capture here Julia, and the white on mumma's head has come out so well. Great action shot - thank you....

Hello Julia!
Wonderful scane and very nice shot.Framing and composition are perfect.Thanks for sharing.

Excelent composition and well done on the shot.

Mike

oh yes Julia,
they are sweet, well very good capture in a nice composition, good colours very well in pov, I like the good work here,
gr. Jaap

  • Great 
  • Graal Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Silver Note Writer [C: 788 W: 31 N: 20] (4998)
  • [2005-05-20 16:27]
  • [+]

Hi Julia!
I like this picture. Good pose and capture. Interesting note.
Thanks for sharing.
Aleksander

Definatly a case of mother love here, it is a well captured scene , a little motion blurr but nothing too serious, TFS

Nicely captured Julia,
I love the colour of the young coot chicks (two little teenage punks!!)
Great moment, have a great weekend Julia (looks like a wet one)
Thanks for posting

  • Great 
  • TAZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2395 W: 50 N: 3190] (10896)
  • [2005-05-21 4:06]
  • [+]

Belle et intéressante composition photographique bien réalisée pour cette petite famille de foulques.
Nice & well done !

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5171 W: 297 N: 4050] (13069)
  • [2005-05-21 4:15]
  • [+]

Hello Julia!
Very cute composition.Lighting,framing and colors are wonderful.TFS...:-)

  • Great 
  • sAner Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1654 W: 79 N: 1456] (4742)
  • [2005-05-21 4:42]
  • [+]

Wow, the mother is really going full ahead full! :) Wonderful capture Julia. They look a lot like my neigbours. :) Well composed and good colors. It could have been a tat sharper. Did you crop a lot? Good POV. Well done & TFS!

Regards,
Pieter

They are not beautiful little critters. :)

Nice composition and exposure on this difficult bird. I always burn that white spot. Well done.

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2805 W: 75 N: 7845] (26275)
  • [2005-05-21 4:54]
  • [+]

This is very nice bird with one of most uglies babies ;-) I like this scene - seems to Mom swam real fast - I like waves around her. Youngs are colorfull and... ugly ;-) TFS!

PT

Hello Julia, Athough not technically perfect, This has great action, a great title and a great POV. I like it!!

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