The avocet chicks have started hatching, and little balls of grey fluff on long legs are tottering about. Carefully shephered by their attentive parents. But sometimes things can go wrong...
One party of chicks strayed too close to where a coot was nesting. Now coots are not exactly renowned for their laid-back attitude to life. In fact, they can really be quite territorial. So this one quickly took umbrage at the intrusion. Even from such a non-threatening source. So, with a loud squawk it launched itself at the poor little avocet chicks and sent them flying. It then proceeded to jump up and down on top of them!
Now, whilst coots are all a bit antsy, avocets must at the very least run them a close second. Faced with such a threat to their chicks, the parents sprung into action and charged the coot. Just for good measure, a couple of neighbouring birds decided that if the coot was going to attack those chicks, it might attack theirs as well, and so joined in. A good old-fashioned lynch mob! Cue a most unruly scuffle between the birds, before some semeblence of order was restored. The avocets collected up their chicks and moved on, the coot retired to its nest to glower at them. Phew! What a parlarver!
Reedbed, freshwater scrapes, saltmarsh and wet meadow. Frampton Marsh has it all! Come and pay us a visit soon.