Incredibly Cute Coots

Yesterday, I stumbled upon an incredibly cute American Coot family!

Four newly hatched chicks paddled their legs and fluttered their tiny wings with noticeable yellow feathers when one of the attentive adults came near.

  If you look closely, it appears that their beaks still have the egg tooth at the tip. It's like a chisel that they use when it's time to emerge from the egg.

It's incredible when you find something in Nature unexpectedly!

On the previous day, we went to the Penasquitoes Lagoon near Torrey Pines near sunset. We watched a few Snowy Egrets, Black Night herons and Great Egrets fishing. This lagoon is in between the beach and a heavily developed neighborhood.

As the sun was disappearing, so were the birds. I watched one of the Snowy Egrets to see where it was headed. To my surprise, it landed in this prominent tree in a residential area.

When we got closer to the tree, we discovered it was full of big, beautiful shorebirds - Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets and a Great Blue Heron. I counted 20 but their could have been more hidden behind the needles of this majestic tree. I wonder if the neighbors realize the importance of this tree! It needs a Wildlife plaque!

Keep your eyes open! You never know what you may find!

Click on photos to enlarge.