Fulica Americana - American Coot in a celebration of Spring weather doing exercises in the shallow water in front of Kelowna Yacht Club Marina, Kelowna BC - March 22, 2011.

The American Coot is a familiar site in our region. The Coot is a slate colored bird with a black head and neck, white bill with a red spot above the beak, between the eyes (and white marking underneath the tail) - looking like a duck, dabbling and diving feeding on bits of vegetation, fish, mollusks, and small insects available at the waters surface (sometimes the eggs of other nesting birds). In nesting season they are found in fresh water, while winter will find Coots in fresh or salt water marshes, lakes and ponds.

Crocus Chrysanthus (Hybrid Crocus). The Crocus is among the most popular and colorful of dwarf bulbs - most flower late winter and early spring. The flowers are upright and goblet-shaped, with 6 petals, often opening in a starry or cup shape, with or before leaves.

Nesting sights are usually near to a lake or large river, close to the favorite food, consisting of large sticks bunched together (with a smoother lining of smaller materiel) in a tree notch or on top of a spar tree or piling - they need more or less a platform projecting out of the water to build the nest which they will return to year after year through out the life cycle.