Today Storm Brendan approaches and whilst it won’t be as windy here in North West England as elsewhere (Ireland in particular) it is still a pretty windy day. Nevertheless I’ve managed to get out for a walk around my local park, so I have another species! I’m realising this blog is rather bird heavy at the moment but they are more visable than most other wildlife at this time of year, and I’m more familiar with them than other things; I will endeavor to branch out though.
What: Coot Fulica atra Linnaeus, 1758
When: 13th January 2020
Where: Poynton Pool, Cheshire, UK
Who saw it: Me
How did I record it? On eBird. There was 10 of them today (probably an under-estimate).
Is it bigger than a blackbird? Yes
What is it? A rather portly bird in the rail family. Very familiar on ponds and lakes. Swims like a duck but is not a duck. They are black all over with a familiar white crest on their forehead. They can be very aggressive to one another and it’s common to see them fighting; pretty much a daily occurrence with them! They are sometimes seen out of the water grazing on grass when there’s not too much disturbance around. Their feet are really weird looking.
A fact I have learned about this species: They are increasing in number in the UK and my home county of Cheshire seems to be an important region for them with a disproportionate population given the size of the county. (Ref: http://www.cheshireandwirralbirdatlas.org/species/coot-breeding.htm). Cheshire has a lot of ponds and small bodies of water so this would make sense.
Is it a charismatic in my opinion? Yes. Any bird that is constantly pumped and up for a fight has got to be surely?! They aren’t exactly the best looking bird in the world; their chicks are particularly ugly (at least for waterfowl). But to make up for this they have personality.
A Species a Day 