Outdoors

:
“TheReview Wednesday, November 14,1990 — B6 — $

Coots part of an ancient, widespread family

tially freshwater birds breeding on
lakes and marshes among cat-tails,
reeds, pond weeds, sedges and
rushes.

Coots are relatively weak fliers,

Winter is just around some cor-
ner or another. The coots are back
in strength on Elk Lake.

Brilliant harlequin ducks and
hooded mergansers are feeding
along our shores — along with
dusky, red-legged oyster catchers
and greater yellowlegs, easily rec-
ognized by their white rump areas
and long, slender, bright lemon-
hued legs.

Great rafts of greyish American
widgeons and dark scooters have
returned as well where they con-
sort with numbers of red-breasted
mergansers, grebes and common
loons.

One is always interested in the
sudden appearance of the large
flocks of coots. One afternoon,
hardly a one can be seen; the next
morning, they are on the water in
hordes. They migrate during the
night.

They are totally unmistakable in
their dark livery, snow-white beaks
and frontal shield on the forehead
between the wine-red eyes.

The somewhat chicken-like coot
has a plethora of common names
ranging from ‘mudhen’, “Blue
Peter’, ‘crow duck’, ‘puldoo’, ‘sea
crow’, ‘water hen’, to ‘pond hen’,
‘white bill” and ‘crazy coot’ etc.

Though they are often seen in

brackish water, coots are essen-

having short wings and a shallow
keel on the breast for the attach-
ment of flight muscles.

In rising from the water they
flutter and flap along, splashing
and paddling with both wings and
feet until, clear of the water, they
rise feebly into the air with legs
and feet dangling.

Seen at close range along the
shore as in our photo, one is
immediately aware of their curious

toes which are equipped with a
series of flaps, rather than the
continuous webs of ducks and
loons.

Coots belong to the same Order
and Family as the rails. The Fam-
ily is a large one with nearly 140
species, mostly rather soberly col-
ored marsh inhabitants with some
exceptions.

‘One affernoon,
hardly a@ one can
be seen; the next
morning, they are

on the water in

hordes.’

They are an ancient Family,
dating back some 70 million years
and very widespread throughout
the world except in polar regions.
Many of those of restricted insular
distribution have lost the power of
flight.

With the arrival of man with his
rats, cats and dogs, a number of the
flightless forms were forced into
extinction. More than 15 species
of this interesting Family have
vanished forever during the past
century alone, and man continues
to exert inexorable and relentless

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pressure upon many others.
A most interesting exception to
this general state of avian affairs

occurred about 40 years ago. The-

brilliant green-blue, turkey-sized
Notoris or Takahe of New Zea-
land had not been seen for a
hundred years and was declared
extinct.

But in 1948 about 100 of them
were found living in a narrow
valley 2,000 feet above sea level in
the Murchison range of South
Island, a good week’s trek from
the nearest habitation.

The New Zealand Government
is doing its level best to protect the
survivors and save them for poster-

ity.

YOU a LOSE YOUR
— 3S HOUSE
| Gis 2

i

i ta =)

IF YOU Sane DRIVE

amar @)
COUNTERATIACK:

FOR A POSITIVE |
AND EFFECTIVE. |
NORTH SAANICH |

MAYOR

ELECT)
MAURICE}

CHAZOTTES

TOITIKA

Public
Information
Sessions

on the

Tsitika Watershed.
Integrated Resource
Plan

The Tsitika Watershed Integrated Resource Plan:

* establishes seven ecological reserves

* maintains critical deer and elk habitat

¢ establishes fishing and recreation corridors

° excludes sites with unstable soils from timber harvesting

¢ sets the conditions for timber harvesting in accordance
with integrated resource management

groups.

watershed.

The Tsitika Follow-up Committee, which is hosting the public
information sessions, monitors the implementation of the plan
and coordinates special studies. It includes representatives
from a broad range of government and non-government

The information sessions will provide the opportunity to view
what has occurred in the valley since the plan was approved
in 1978 and to provide input on the future management of the

Information sessions are scheduled for:

3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Monday, November 26 - Port McNeill :
- Lions Hall
Tuesday, November 27 - Campbell River

Wednesday, November 28 - Nanaimo

Thursday, November 29 - Victoria
- Queen Victoria Inn
655 Douglas Street
Friday, November 30 - Vancouver

Tsitika Follow-up Committee

- St. Patricks Hall
34 Alder Sireet

- Coast Bastion Inn
11Bastion Street

- Pan Pacific Hotel
Ganada Place

Pameiue:) Yan? vareaae fae