More Boardwalk Fun at Orlando Wetlands
March 14, 2023 - American Coot Walking on Water American Coot Walking on Water "Don't forget about me!" said the Blue-winged Teal.... Read more
American Coot
 | I migrate to Florida in the wintertime. You’ll find us in large flocks in marshy areas. We like to splash as we perfect the art of running on water! Most Likely Found: In a pond, In the marsh When: Winter Where I've photographed: Circle B Bar Reserve, Lake Apopka, Lake Mirror, Lake Morton, Lake Parker Park, Marshall Hampton Reserve, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Orlando Wetlands, Viera Wetlands Read more: American Coot at Cornell Lab of Ornithology Ebird: American Coot eBird range |
I have written 43 posts including a photo of a American Coot
New Boardwalk at Orlando Wetlands
February 20, 2023 - My favorite clowns of the morning were the American Coots.... Read more
Finding Your Cooties…what you see when you sit in one place
August 31, 2021 - I've seen postings of baby American Coots on eBird, and I finally spotted one of the juveniles.... Read more
Afternoon Walk with Rich at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive
July 11, 2021 - A lone American Coot surprised me as we headed back to the car.... Read more
The Sun Came Out at Lake Morton! Lifer Louisiana Waterthrush
April 16, 2021 - I looked up just in time to snap a photo of the American Coot walking on water!... Read more
Springtime Walk down Lust Road
March 22, 2021 - As I headed back to my car, I came across a group of American Coots creating a fuss.... Read more
Wading Birds at Lust Road
February 16, 2021 - American Coot Blue-winged Teal mixed in with the coots and Common Gallinules along the Lust Road canal.... Read more
Springtime Stop at Lake Morton
April 20, 2019 - I came across this pair of American Coots preening each other.... Read more
Spring is in the Air
February 25, 2018 - Other photographers like to make fun of me for photographing common birds, like this American Coot.... Read more
Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive Reopens in Time for Christmas!
December 28, 2017 - That's ok, there were plenty of American Coots posing nice and close to the road, just begging to have their photos taken.... Read more
Viera Wetlands is Open Again!
November 24, 2017 - American Coot The wetlands were alive with the calls of birds, particularly this Belted Kingfisher, who was on the prowl for breakfast.... Read more
Another Morning at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive
August 29, 2017 - American Coot An Anhinga was perched on some nearby branches, savoring a huge fish.... Read more
A Quick Stop at Lake Parker Park
March 10, 2017 - American Coot Speaking of coots, this one got splashed by the grebe.... Read more
A Walk Around the Marshall Hampton Reserve
February 28, 2017 - ...Exploring the Marshall Hampton Reserve: hiking and coots and a singing Vireo Read more
Winter Birds Returning to Orlando Wetlands Park
November 4, 2016 - Regular readers of my blog laugh at me every October when I post my first-of-fall American Coot.... Read more
Christmas Coot!
December 24, 2015 - ...The weather forecast this morning was a little frightful (mostly cloudy), but the prospect of birding was delightful, so I headed to Viera Wetlands to celebrate a wonderful day off from work! It was great seeing Michael, Donna, and Mike as the Belted Kingfisher “Miss Viera Sushi” mocked us and evaded her favorite perch. We’ve having record […] Read more
Lifer Clapper Rail at Merritt Island NWR
January 25, 2015 - American Coot Just when we thought the afternoon couldn't get any better, it did.... Read more
Coot Glamour Shots at Lake Mirror
December 5, 2014 - Well, there are always some birds around who will cooperate...and my friends do tease me that I have a strange attachment to American Coots!... The American Coot is one of the most common ducks in Florida in the wintertime.... Read more
Fall Walk at the Circle B Bar Reserve
October 7, 2013 - ...Yesterday I finally made it out for a fall walk at the Circle B Bar Reserve. I haven’t been there in months! It felt great to get back out on the trails. I love photographing along the Heron Hideout trail early in the morning on these early fall days. The light is golden and gorgeous, […] Read more
The Calm Before the Coots
October 15, 2012 - Each fall I look forward to the arrival of the American Coots at the Circle B Bar Reserve as a sign that our winter visitors are beginning to arrive.... Read more
On the Run at the Circle B Bar Reserve
January 9, 2012 - Here's an appropriate post for my first day back to work – "on the run!" This was an American Coot from the Circle B Bar Reserve from last Wednesday. I love to try to catch them as they run across the water. I got several good frames from this one,…... Read more
Even an Icky Day is Good at Circle B Bar Reserve
November 27, 2011 - Bird Species List (46 total): American Coot, American Goldfinch (FOS) (heard), American Robin, American Wigeon, Anhinga, Bald Eagle, Belted Kingfisher, Black-Bellied Whistling Duck, Blue Jay, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Blue-Winged Teal, Boat-tailed Grackle, Common Gallinule, Common Yellowthroat, Double-Crested Cormorant, Eastern Phoebe, Gadwall, Glossy Ibis, Gray Catbird (heard), Great Blue Heron, Great Egret,…... Read more
Sunrise with a Sora – Circle B Bar Reserve
November 21, 2011 - Bird Species List (33 total): American Coot, American Wigeon, Anhinga, Belted Kingfisher, Black-Bellied Whistling Duck, Black-Crowned Night Heron, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Blue-Winged Teal, Boat-tailed Grackle, Brown Pelican, Common Gallinule, Double-Crested Cormorant, Eastern Meadowlark (heard), Eastern Phoebe, Gadwall, Glossy Ibis, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, House Wren (heard), Limpkin, Little Blue Heron,…... Read more
Which One Does Not Belong?
November 18, 2011 - Last weekend at Circle B, a lone Redhead Duck hung out in a pack of American Coots.... Read more
Flight Shots at the Circle B Bar Reserve
November 14, 2011 - The American Coots are by far the most common bird out on the lakes right now. I always enjoy laughing at them as they do their "walk on water" routine. Then one took off in flight! I don't seem to see them in flight very often.... Bird Species List (38…... Read more
Winter Birds are Returning to the Circle B Bar Reserve
October 23, 2011 - I was excited to get out there and see small groups of American Coots in the water.... Bird Species List (31 total): American Coot, American Kestrel, Anhinga, Bald Eagle, Belted Kingfisher, Black-Bellied Whistling Duck, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Blue-Winged Teal, Boat-tailed Grackle, Common Gallinule, Common Yellowthroat, Double-Crested Cormorant, Eastern Phoebe, Glossy Ibis,…... Read more
In Search of Babies at Circle B Bar Reserve
April 10, 2011 - Sandhill Crane family Sandhill Crane colt Sandhill Crane colts The Wading Bird Way trail was pretty quiet (although not as quiet as it will be in another month or so!) We saw a few Limpkins, a Wood Stork, a Great Egret, and some remaining flocks of American Coots. I had…... Read more
Spring is in the Air at the Circle B Bar Reserve
February 12, 2011 - It's amazing how different a place can look after two weeks. The weather kept me from Circle B last weekend, and I think it's driven a lot of the birds away too. The ponds that used to be covered in American Coots and American Wigeons were virtually empty. Not…... Read more
Lions and Bitterns and Rails, Oh My! Circle B Bar Reserve Never Disappoints
January 23, 2011 - So I turned my attention to the birds that were showing off: the Ring-Billed Gulls and the American Coots.... Ring-Billed Gull American Coot I liked the pale pink water in the two shots above, produced by the reflection of the pre-sunrise sky.... We don't normally take many pictures of the…... Read more
Bittern-ly Chilly Morning at the Circle B Bar Reserve
January 15, 2011 - Cloudy Marsh (HDR) How can you stand on Heron Hideout (or anywhere in Circle B, for that matter) for long without taking a picture of an American Coot?... American Coot Wood storks were easier to photograph in flight when the sun did come out.... Species list: American Bittern, American Coot,…... Read more
Circle B Bar Reserve: the Photographer’s Playground!
January 8, 2011 - Gray Catbird As we reached the Wading Bird Way trail, the group was awed by the three photographers who had set up with 500mm lenses. They nicely let some of our people look through their lenses. We saw the usual assortment of American Coots, Limpkins, a single Roseate Spoonbill, Blue-Winged…... Read more
Bitterns Saying Hello at Circle B Bar Reserve
January 7, 2011 - American White Pelicans As usual, there were American Coots very close to the Heron Hideout trail. They started fussing at each other and swimming right toward me, so I started clicking! The water there is generally smooth, so you can get good reflection shots. I liked this one.... American Coot…... Read more
Beautiful Morning at the Circle B Bar Reserve
December 22, 2010 - Great Egret Of course, there were plenty of birds on the ground, too. American Coots and Pied-Billed Grebes are everywhere in the marsh. Dyeyo says he won't take pictures of the coots anymore, because he has so many. But when one poses so nicely for you, how can you resist?...…... Read more
Do Coots get Cooties?
November 30, 2010 - I had some fun pictures of the American Coots at the Circle B Bar Reserve this Sunday.... American Coot I really enjoy trying to photograph the coots as they run across the water surface.... American Coot Finally -- a duck ran toward me instead of away from me!... Read more
Skies Filled with Birds at the Circle B Bar Reserve
November 28, 2010 - Caspian Tern American Coots dominated the bird scene on Wading Bird Way, but I actually took this picture back on Heron Hideout as I was leaving.... American Coot The Bald Eagles flew over the marsh several times, calling to each other (and helpfully making it easier for photographers to spot…... Read more
A New Place to Explore: Viera Wetlands
November 26, 2010 - The wetlands were covered in American Coots and Blue-Winged Teals.... Double-Crested Cormorant Several of the ponds were just covered in American Coots.... American Coot Also abundant were the Blue-Winged Teals.... Read more
Where are all the birds at the Circle B Bar Reserve?
November 22, 2010 - Yellow-Rumped Warbler We reached Wading Bird Way and saw the usual crowds of American Coots.... Plane Species list: Anhinga, American Coot, Bald Eagle, Belted Kingfisher, Black-Bellied Whistling Duck, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Blue-Winged Teal, Common Moorhen, Double-Crested Cormorant, Eastern Phoebe, Glossy Ibis, Gray Catbird, Great Blue Heron, House Wren, Laughing Gull, Limpkin,…... Read more
Seeing is Believing: There Really are Otters at the Circle B Bar Reserve!
November 14, 2010 - Blue-Winged Teals But the bird most visible on Wading Bird Way was by far the American Coot.... I got another fun "in the middle of a run across the water" shot: American Coot We headed back on Marsh Rabbit Run, walking almost all the way back to Heron Hideout when…... Read more
More Winter Birds Have Arrived at the Circle B Bar Reserve
November 12, 2010 - Blue-Winged Teal I reached Wading Bird Way and saw hundreds of American Coots.... This was my best shot: American Coots An Anhinga was in his usual place on the buoys halfway down the trail.... Species list: Anhinga, American Coot, Bald Eagle, Belted Kingfisher, Black-Bellied Whistling Duck, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Blue-Winged Teal,…... Read more
Lots of Birds at the Circle B Bar Reserve
October 24, 2010 - Today they were a little closer than last week, and I liked the portrait I was able to take: American Coots There were also lots of Pied-Billed Grebes off Wading Bird Way, more than I've ever seen out there.... Glossy Ibis Species list: Anhinga, American Coot, Bald Eagle, Belted Kingfisher,…... Read more
The Coots have Returned to the Circle B Bar Reserve
October 17, 2010 - Besides seeing the first American Coots of the season, this morning we saw a juvenile Bald Eagle doing some nice close fly-bys, three Roseate Spoonbills, and plenty of Gray Catbirds and Eastern Phoebes.... So I was quite happy to look out over the marsh at Wading Bird Way and see…... Read more
American White Pelicans Roosting at Circle B Bar Reserve
December 28, 2009 - The sun was out today and the sky was clear and it was a wonderful morning for bird photography. The marshes were full of common moorhens and American coots.... Common Moorhen American Coot The coots were carrying on, jumping off their tree perches and sliding into the water to chase…... Read more