XVII 



COOT 



bird is not an easy one to photograph, for the 

 reason that the nests are often built in a position 

 where it is not possible to fix up any hiding appa- 

 ratus for the photographer. The nest here pictured 

 was an exception, for it was only a few yards out 

 in the lake, and by placing a large hurdle made of reeds on the 

 bank, I was able to photograph the Coot with the greatest ease. 

 The nest was also quite near a public footpath, and a bird which 

 builds its nest in such a position is always easier to photograph 

 than one which seldom sees a human being. Only about four 

 yards from this Coot's nest, a Little Grebe had built her small 

 floating home, and when I was tired of photographing one bird, I 

 just turned my camera round and exposed plates on the other. 

 A rather strange thing occurred here, for on first examining the 

 Grebe's nest we found that the Coot had actually laid one of her 

 eggs in it, and the Dabchick was sitting on this with three of 

 her own eggs ! I have often come across strange occurrences like 

 this in Birdland, but the most remarkable happened while I was 

 taking animated pictures of a Thrush feeding her young. The 

 Thrush had just given her offspring a good supply of food, and left 

 the nest to search for more worms, when a Yellow Wagtail suddenly 

 flew to the nest and fed the hungry fledgelings, and then settled 



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