It was a San Francisco morning in Southern California. Tiny raindrops glanced off your cheeks and wet the nature trail winding through a foggy neighborhood. Distant mountains were shrouded in a damp cloak, tires made shushing sounds on damp pavement.But there was nothing you could really call rain.
The brisk stroll included a circuit of Heritage Lake where an encounter with a flock of odd-looking black bird/duck creatures immediately brought our bird expert to mind.Where is he when you need him?
So Greg, what ever is this species? There were dozens of them, feeding on the lawn, then jumping in the lake.
The webs on their chickenish feet are incomplete and they sort of prance around like they're afraid of stepping in bird doodoo. Which is quite possible, of course. But mostly they seem to swim. Never saw one fly, not even when approached.Please look this up in your bird book. . . or maybe you know it by sight.
Signed: Curious in California.
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Greg says: American Coot. We have them in Minnesota. They're very common. Lots of
'em - always seem to be in large groups. Like snowflakes.
Wikipedia says:
The American coot (Fulica americana), also known as a mud hen, is a bird of the family Rallidae. Though commonly mistaken to be ducks, American coots belong to a distinct order. Unlike the webbed feet of ducks, coots have broad, lobed scales on their lower legs and toes that fold back with each step in order to facilitate walking on dry land.[2] Coots live near water, typically inhabiting wetlands and open water bodies in North America. Groups of coots are called covers or rafts. The oldest known coot lived to be 22 years old.[
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| A nice mix of grasses and trees bordered the trail. |
