American Coots in Saskatchewan Sloughs

Bright orange baby coot, in not-camo...   © SB

The first time I saw a very young American Coot swimming in a slough, I was astonished by its colour.

The bright yellow, orange and red feathers, beak and skin of this water bird are exactly the opposite of camouflage...

And I wondered: Does its discreet black and white parent need these vibrant colours to find it?

Even at a slightly older age, these young birds look bizarrely speckled and tufted.

(The tufts are perhaps because its feathers are ever-so-slightly matted by the algae and other stuff typically found in slough water...)

The adults, in contrast, are sedately attired... although their behaviour is somewhat less that sedate. (Hence the term, silly old coot.)

Beautiful birds, all the same.

Adult and young American Coot  © SB

Grumpy-looking baby Coot  © SB

Slightly older, still young, Coot. © SB

Is this adult American Coot (could it be?) smiling at me? © SB

What are these birds? American Coots — Foulque d'Amérique — adult and young.

Location: Various sloughs and wetlands in Saskatchewan, Canada. 

Photo date:  Summer 2012 and 2013.

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Yellow-headed Blackbirds in Slough near Regina SK

Yellow-headed Blackbird, on reeds near Regina, SK  ©SB

Yellow-headed Blackbirds creak and dart among the reeds at a slough not far from my house in Regina, Saskatchewan.

On a recent drive, I listened to their rasping screeches and croaks, and realized that far more Yellow-headed Blackbirds were singing than I could see.

But those I could see were beautiful, their vibrant yellow, gold and amber feathers shining in the sun, their black suits, stark and sombre.

The males, that is.

The females are more subdued in colour, a blurry yellow with brown, the better to blend in the reeds and mud in the nest.

(I've only seen females in early spring — perhaps before their actual nest sitting?)

And as for a slough, that's a natural water-filled area, more shallow and reed-filled than a lake.

Female Yellow-headed Blackbird, in the slough  ©SB

Yellow-headed Blackbird ©SB

What are these?  Yellow-headed Blackbirds

Location: Slough north of Regina, Saskatchewan.

Photo date: May 25, 2012. 

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Black-Crowned Night Heron near Craven SK

Black-Crowned Night Heron, in marsh east of Craven  © SB 

Along Highway 99, East of Craven, Saskatchewan: One of the biggest and most surprising birds I've seen is this Black-Crowned Night Heron. It was lurking in the newly renovated (thanks to this springs' floods) marsh along Highway 99, east of Craven. 

And yes, this is supposed to be a primarily nocturnal bird — but clearly one that doesn't follow all the rules, as it was only 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. — close to our bright prairie noon. 

This bird is huge — more penguin-sized than anything else. It's also very good at hiding — although perhaps not quite as good as it hopes it is... 

I'd stopped along the gravel shoulder to look at a Great Blue Heron that was hanging out further into the marsh, and it wasn't until after that heron flew away that I noticed this one lurking behind a clump of reeds. 

Flower note: They're too blurry to identify, but from the bright pink colour, the flowers in the top photo with the Night Heron may be Water Smartweed. 

You can't see me! © SB 

What is this? Black-Crowned Night Heron, a very large bird. 
Location: Along Highway 99, East of Craven, yes, Saskatchewan. 

Photo Date: September 4, 2011. 

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