Tag Archives: coots

How Many Coots Do You Need to Stay Safe?

We went through a phase at Juanita Bay when the number of coots really rocketed.  They were a popular source of food for the local eagles, but they had to work for it.  The coots were gathered in large groups on the water and the eagles would do their best to get one isolated so that they could pick it off.  As they got close, the flocks of coots would get startled and would start flying around to evade the eagles.  Watching this action from a distance was fascinating as this large number of birds tried to move as one to protect themselves. Not a time for being independent!

Juanita Bay Birds

Ducks don’t make for the most exciting photographic subjects but, when you are testing out a new camera, everything is fair game.  The eagles had been flying around Juanita Bay but they had been keeping their distance from us.  A whole host of coots had been near the shore just tempting the eagles to come hunting but they hadn’t bothered.  Consequently, I photographed the coots and the ducks instead.