Coots

Confined to the canal towpath again. Rain has kept the bike under cover. I have felt closer to wildlife these last two days than a week on the moors. Foxes yesterday, herons, cormorants, and plenty of ducks, swans, and coots. This pair was hitching a ride in the rain on a log. The saying “as bald as a coot” actually refers to the white patch on its forehead but has come to refer to a lack of hair. Coots are resident in the UK year round but some do migrate south in the winter feeding on both plant and animal matter such as snails, dragonflies and beetles. They can live for up to 18 years.