On 31 Jul 2002, kjandrich at netscape.net wrote:

> I got to spend some time at the fill last night and saw about a dozen
> Am. Coots, most of which I am guessing very recently returned. Their
> behavior was subdued except for 2 of them, one of which appeared to me
> to be nesting. ?Is it unusual for Coots to nest over here? ?

In my experience, Coots tend to depart the Puget Sound region in
March to April, though some remain through the summer. In all the
years I lived on Long Lake (1975 - 1986; Thurston County) I
occasionally saw them to summer over, and confirmed nesting there
only in 1982. On 3 July 1980 I found an adult leading 3 downy chicks
along the shore of Union Bay at Montake Fill, with 38 other adults on
the lake. On 1981 I saw downy Coot chicks at various of the then many
wetlands in Renton from 28 May through 23 September. On 10 June 1982
I found an adult leading 2 downy chicks at Nisqually NWR. On 16 June
1982 I found 3 broods of Coot on various of the then Renton wetlands.
In recent years I have not looked for nesting Coot. I guess I think
of them as a regular nesting species, but localized and in low-to-
moderate numbers.


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Douglas Canning
Olympia, Washington
dcanning at nisquallyestuary.org
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