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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Fledgling Brown Thrashers in the Backyard

Long-tailed, beautiful secretive bird, usually in hiding.
(Carrying a scavenged seed.)© SB

Regina, Saskatchewan: For the past few days, we've caught glimpses of adult Brown Thrashers in our yard, foraging under the bird feeders.

Yesterday, two fledgling Brown Thrashers also appeared.

I don't know where their nest was — perhaps in the bushes between our garage and the neighbour's yard, where they often seemed to hover. 

At least one adult was with the young Brown Thrashers — perhaps both were. But the birds rarely stayed still and I saw only one adult with them at a time. 

AllAboutBirds calls the Brown Thrasher "a large, skulking bird of thickets and hedgerows", and says they have "one of the largest song repertoire of any North American bird." 

These Brown Thrashers weren't singing, but only demanding bugs and nuts (the young), and issuing reprimands (the adult/s).

Brown Thrashers are beautiful, with rust-coloured feathers and golden eyes. At least, the adults' eyes look golden; under frequent heavy cloud, the fledglings' eyes looked much more hazy, almost blue. 

Today, I've heard and seen no sign of them. I guess the fledglings' wings are stronger, and they've flown.  

(For the record, I stayed inside and took these pictures through the window in dim light between bouts of rain. And yes, this part of my yard does have a dandelion or two...) 

Adult Brown Thrasher feeds one of the fledglings.  © SB 

The demands of parenthood...
(The fledgling at left, at least, has a seed) © SB

Fledgling Brown Thrasher.  This guy could fly a little
and also spent time in the lilac branches and perched
on garden stakes. But mostly, he ran and hopped. © SB 

What are these? Brown Thrashers

Location: Backyard, Regina, Saskatchewan.

Photo date: July 15, 2012.  

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