European Coots and Chick

It is Dougal here again as I was supposed to be the blip today, but then the humans saw these and got all excited. Just a couple of Coots with one of their four babies; I am not sure what all the fuss was about.

Mummy has been working in the garden and Daddy has been sorting out one of his workshops all day today. Florence continues to be a bit naughty, she chased a full grown duck into the shrubbery. I dashed round the other side so we could get it, but it quacked so much that one of the humans came to see what was happening and it got away.

I have been a good boy except this afternoon when I chased a mummy duck and her ten babies. They had come up the orchard to eat the food that had been put there for them. Florence did not come and help me, there were also two big male ducks with her and they flapped their wings at me; Mummy also came to see what I was doing.

Mummy says that although Coots have been on the pond in previous years, they have never brought any babies. Today they did and this picture shows two adults with one of their babies. They kept diving in the pond and then feeding the baby. There were also two lots of mummy ducks each with ten or twelve ducklings, as well as a pair of Moorhens, but they did not have any babies.

I do not think this is a very good picture, it is taken from a long way across the garden; I would have made a much better picture. I will not be blipped tomorrow either as I heard them say the ‘hospital’ word; that means me and Florence will have to stay indoors while they are out.