Tuesday Outing

Tue, November 1, 2011, 8:00 am
Yellow Creek State Park

Trip Reports

On Tuesday, the 1st of November, along with fellow club members Donna Myer, Margaret Higbee, Lee Carnahan, I was treated to a a rare event, the struggle between prey and predator. The actors in this drama were American Coots and an adult Bald Eagle, and the stage was the lake at Yellow Creek State Park. We first saw the birds from the south shore in Yellow Creek cove. Numerous coots were spread over the Lake, and the adult eagle was spotted in a tree on the north shore overlooking the lake.

The morning was cold with thick banks of fog rolling over the water. But by the time we made it to the boat launch area on the south shore, the fog had lifted. At this location we checked out the lake, and of course there were hundreds of coots to be counted. A Hermit Thrush was a nice surprise. Also as a bonus we were treated to a mixed flock of Song, White-throated, and Fox Sparrows. As we were viewing the sparrows, we were startled by the roar of hundreds of coots taking off. We immediately found the reason--the Bald Eagle we had discovered earlier was flying low over the lake's surface and flushing the coots. As we watched the eagle gliding along toward the shore near the boat rental area, it flew up and made a dive at a small group of coots. To our amazement as the eagle was about to make a kill, the coots disappeared in a shower of water spray. The coots escaped by diving. The eagle made a few more attempts, but the coots were quicker. The eagle flew up into a tree near the boat rental office and perched. After a while the eagle made an another attempt at the coots with the same results, and as before it landed in a tree over- looking the lake. Once again a third time the eagle tried for a coot breakfast, and after this attempt we watched at the bird fly off cootless toward the dam end of the lake.

It was fascinating to watch the the eagle and the coots interact. It appears that the coots are very aware of eagles. From our observations the coots have two basic forms of escape, first they fly off in a confusing mass of birds, and secondly if the coots are not quick enough to fly off, they dive to avoid the eagle's talons.

One other note, the coots can tell which large birds are predators. Later that day we saw a large Great Blue Heron fly low over the coots, without a response.

What we viewed was as good as any wildlife film you see on TV. Just goes to show what may happen on any given Tuesday outing at Yellow Creek.

Submitted by Tom Glover

The Bald Eagle positioned itself on a snag for a better view of the coots.

Here are some photos from the Tuesday, November 1, Yellow Creek State Park outing.


This Hermit Thrush was a nice surprise in the shrubbery at the boat launch.	We spotted this Cooper's Hawk from the hill below the maintenance building.