An Encounter with a Baby Coot

Last year, when I visited Annecy, I was amazed to see a just-born baby Coot. I found another Coot nest this year as well, in the canal just at the edge of Lake Annecy. Since the weather was much warmer this year, the egg had probably hatched a couple weeks earlier than last year.

  

It didn't look like the baby needed much help eating. (Last year, I managed to get a shot of a baby being fed by its parent.) For some reason, the parent coot was continuing to build its nest, which was already quite significant. 

 It even snatched some weeds from another coot in its pursuit.

 The feet are surprisingly large and paddle-like.

 The baby awaits.

 This is the area immediately surrounding the nest.

The photo following this one may be shocking to some people. I was zeroing in on the little pale blob on the bottom left of the photo.

 At first, I thought it was a lizard, but it turned out to be a just-born baby bird. Had it been thrown from its nest or had it fallen? It was both fascinating and repellent.