The Swamp’s Edge Coots have done it again ! On May 1st they were the first pair ever to be observed nesting and raising their 7 young on Cortes Island (see my previous article).
As if not content with this pioneering record, they produced another 5 young on June 21st.
Again, both parents are most attentive to the needs of their offspring, as well as extremely aggressive towards other waterfowl. It now appears that their strong territoriality has had a very detrimental effect on the pair of Pied-billed Grebes, which also is nesting in the Tule of Swamp’s Edge. This pair of grebes set a North American record twice : raising 3 (three) broods in one nesting season, in 2006 as well as 2007. (Gronau, C. W., 2006b,
Triple Nesting Record for Pied-billed Grebe in British Columbia, Wildlife Afield, 3:2 December 2006, pp. 142-144.) This year, they have not produced any young yet !
Both Coots and Pied-billed Grebes build barely emergent nests on the water surface, held in place by pond vegetation. Coots are known to raid the nests of other birds, and the Grebes’ nest would be easily accessible to them.
Even the Red-winged Blackbirds, also nesting in the Tule, suffered from Coot aggression this year. Their nesting success is far lower than it was at this time last year.
As the saying goes : no one can live in peace, if the neighbours don’t like it …