Swanshurst Park: Baby coots

Two baby coots with their mother (or possibly father).

In case you don't know much about coots and would like to know a little more, I'll give you some quick facts. The coots in the UK are year-round residents, although they are not present in the far north and west areas of Scotland. They are known as the common coot or the Eurasian coot, with the scientific name Fulica atra. They are black all over, except for their white beak and 'shield' above the beak. Instead of having webbed feet, their toes have lobes of skin. They eat vegetation, snails and insect larvae.