WORLDWIDE PHOTO WEEK: Part 561 - Today

Timphoto wrote in post #18330242
I never did like seagulls.

joayne wrote in post #18330289
Oh, My ..

Though, that is a very good storybook of images, even if tragic.
Sort of a last Today.....

rrblint wrote in post #18330314
I'm sure there's a moral here somewhere for wayward chicks. Wow, this is a fantastic series Levina.

OldCrow wrote in post #18330323
Gulls--rats with wings.

Nice series though Levina.

Sibil wrote in post #18330357
Levina, you left me stunned

Levina de Ruijter wrote in post #18330419
And I love the beach shot (#2).

Levina de Ruijter wrote in post #18330419
Thank you kindly, Don.
Love the woodpecker!

Levina de Ruijter wrote in post #18330235
What a good World Wide Photo Week it has been!

I have a Today too. Even though it happened yesterday, but that was a today too, yesterday... And it's a long story. I hope that's okay.


Down below in the canal (which is my back yard) lives a pair of coots. They have offspring every year. Today I saw this little one, the last of the brood. Not sure how many chicks there were originally but other years they usually start with about 5 chicks.

I took a few shots. I always do of this couple's offspring. The resulting pics are never any good because I'm on the third floor (not counting ground floor) and the birds are quite a distance away. So the pics are just for me. And for the record. I don't know, these little ones have so little chance of survival so I take their pics. That way something of them survives. I know, it's silly.

Anyway, on to the pics.

Here the parent is nervous and calls out incessantly, trying to lure the little one back to the safe place underneath the deck. Not because of the swan. The swan is no danger to the chick. But there are gulls flying around...
IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/SEx7​MS Gull snatches baby Coot #1 by Levina de Ruijter, on Flickr

The baby coot is obstinate though and instead of listening to its parent, it swims away and the parent follows and stays close to it.
IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/TKuj​XP Gull snatches baby Coot #2 by Levina de Ruijter, on Flickr

The parent then tries to get the little one in this old tire. It's a favourite resting place for them. And now also safer than the water.
IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/SEx7​Bb Gull snatches baby Coot #3 by Levina de Ruijter, on Flickr

But again, the chick swims away. First it swims to almost the middle of the canal. Open water. And the gulls are in the air. The parent gets really nervous, constantly trying to make the chick turn around, return to the nest. It doesn't. But the parent does manage to get it back to the edge of the canal. I included this shot to show parent and chick having a moment there. Coots are very aggressive birds. They rule their territory. All birds are afraid of them. But they are the most tender parents of all birds that I know. Their whole facial expression changes when they interact with their young. It's amazing.
IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/TWYq​MX Gull snatches baby Coot #4 by Levina de Ruijter, on Flickr

And then, out of nowhere the gulls come in and one snatches the baby coot out of the water. I had my eyes on the gulls but even I was surprised at how blazingly fast it happened. I never even saw him coming. It was all over in less than 3 seconds (I have the time on the shots I took).

These shots are even worse, by the way. I was taking pics of black birds and in comes a white gull and no time to change settings. I also had no time to properly lock on to the gull and just kept my finger on the shutter, something I rarely do. But this is about the action so the shots will have to do.
https://flic.kr/p/TmYY​55Gull snatches baby Coot #5 by Levina de Ruijter, on Flickr

The parent tries to attack but is too late.
https://flic.kr/p/TWYq​mgGull snatches baby Coot #6 by Levina de Ruijter, on Flickr

Of course the baby snatcher is not the only gull there and other gulls now start chasing him so he eats the chick on the fly.
https://flic.kr/p/TmYX​W9Gull snatches baby Coot #7 by Levina de Ruijter, on Flickr

The last pic of the gull with the feet of the little one dangling...
https://flic.kr/p/TWYq​2tGull snatches baby Coot #8 by Levina de Ruijter, on Flickr

OldCrow wrote in post #18330323
Gulls--rats with wings.

Nice series though Levina.

Caught this red bellied woodpecker peaking from behind our dogwood tree

Sibil wrote in post #18330395
Silhouettes from my outing to Malibu

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KT29 wrote in post #18330798
I like the B&W. Well done.ߙ

KT29 wrote in post #18330743
That's a beauty Don.