Coots’ Nest

Crime Lake - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

I’m up at dawn, which is unheard of for me, unless I’m in Orkney, where getting up is aided by the distinct lack of curtains. I was inspired by yesterday’s trip to Crime Lake to make another trip today.

The morning light is wonderful on this Coot. It’s showing its spectacularly lobed blue feet.

Coot - Crime Lake - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

Further along there’s one on a nest. It’s an impressive pile of dead vegetation. The time and effort which it must have taken to gather all that nesting material shows real drive and dedication. It will keep the eggs safe from rising water levels:

Coot - Crime Lake - The Hall of Einar - photograph (c) David Bailey (not the)

If you’ve spent all day, every day for a few weeks collecting nesting material, then I suppose it builds up to quite a pile:

I drew a Coot on its nest in my childhood nature notebooks:

Coot - The Hall of Einar - (c) David Bailey (not the)

I should definitely have drawn the nest bigger.

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