American Coot at Stouffville Reservoir: Late March 2021

Stouffville Reservoir features a lake and many trails.

American Coots are duck-like but blackish with a stubby white bill, round head and body.

American Coot
American Coot
American Coot

The lake also had about two dozen Common Mergansers swimming in it:

Common Mergansers
Common Mergansers
Common Mergansers
Common Mergansers (female)
Common Mergansers
Common Merganser (male)

Common Mergansers are found on inland lakes even in winter if there is open water. They nest in tree cavities or on the ground near large lakes.

In with the mergansers were two Ring-necked Ducks:

Ring-necked Ducks
Ring-necked Ducks

The ring is seldom seen and they are best identified by the tall head and sharp peak on the rear crown.

Other birds:

Canada Geese
Common Grackle
Common Grackles
Common Grackle
Song Sparrow
American Robin
American Goldfinch (female)
Red-winged Blackbird (male)
Song Sparrow

Some botany:

Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
Mealy Rosette and Sunburst Lichen
Manitoba Maple (Acer negundo)
Willow (Salix)
Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)
River Birch (Betula nigra)

NATURE POETRY

The little white clouds are racing over the sky,
And the fields are strewn with the gold of the flower of March,
The daffodil breaks under foot, and the tasseled larch
Sways and swings as the thrush goes hurrying by.           – Oscar Wilde (1854–1900)

Miles Hearn

1 thought on “American Coot at Stouffville Reservoir: Late March 2021

  1. Lisa Volkov

    Wonderful sightings and pictures. Now I know what an American Coot looks like, close up! Thanks, Miles!

    Reply

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