Too Coot -conversations 'round the perc ponds with (Robert! & Sandra!)
from the archives. original post Jan 17, 2021. -reposting today because one of the current factors in People Who Love the Perc Ponds vs. San Jose City Council, is semantic in nature:
What makes a park, -a park? Three factors surface to the top: 1. Has it been dedicated as a park? [and YES, our perc ponds have been legally dedicated as a park/open space] 2. Is it open to the public and utilized as a park? [ BIG YES! countless people over decades, with pictures, memories, stories galore] 3. Has it received "improvements"? -Been invested in [again, YES! trees have been planted, a trail created, benches, water fountain, fence.. trash cans.. irrigation, 4 signs, one at every entry "welcome to your neighborhood park" etc.]
but it is the 'improvements' category which is the hiccup write now, because.. how much has to have been spent in order to qualify? or something like that.. -and while they debate all that behind closed doors, we are just going to keep enjoying our treasure of a park, and work to save and protect it, from 100 bed homeless tiny home site being built -on it; and directly across the street from Noble Elementary School, Daycare, Berryessa Library.. longer list.
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now, when it's all said and done, one of my favorite living in san jose experiences -and we know there have been very many
but towards the top of that growing list: "the perc pond parade!" -we purchased some, as sexy likes to identify it 'safe and sanctified, certified, all the way credentialed, USDA agriculturally approved -official and politically correct waterfowl duck food' -from An-Jan's Feed and Pet Supply in Milpitas to safely feed the ducks at the perc ponds
-because there were one or five people who expressed concern for the ducks who were being fed bread crumbs "awful!" apparently... "makes 'em sick"
and it's true.. there are those who have been feeding ducks bread crumbs for their entire lives.. and have never seen any negative side effects, or dead ducks washed up on the shorelines..
but, we decided,
well, i already told you what we decided... and so, not only are we supporting a very worthy local business with our purchases, but, it is entirely guilt and worry free now, that we delight in feeding the ducks at the perc ponds
"good morning friends," i say to them with a big smile... "we didn't bring you just any 'ole bread crumbs you cute things... we brought you the best! gourmet duck food for brunch..."
and now it is super fun because at first, they might all start swimming away from the approaching humans, but then robert will get out one of the zip lock bags with our 'safe and sanctified, certified, all the way credentialed, USDA agriculturally approved -official and politically correct waterfowl duck food' from An-Jan's..
and then with a big smile i say to them.. "oh! did something change your mind... " because the second you shake that bag... 50 or more come flying across the pond..
sweetest thing you ever saw! and despite my reading how common they are, it's the first time i am conscious of seeing these...
and i was like, "look baby, at those necks.. they look like black velvet.." -and i fight an urge to pet them because i'm not quite sure if they are pet-friendly
"look at those red eyes!" and then i just checked them all out... how much darker their necks compared to their dark bodies, the white beaks with the black tip... that kind of brown jewel on their foreheads... but honey
i stopped in my tracks to marvel at their feet! honestly... "baby, look! they're scalloped... scalloped! and some kind of green, blue... with black markings... " who created these?!? they are magnificent..
and I believe there is one God, who so loved the world, and gave his only son..
but I also wonder... well, i think the creative wand got passed around, and i can't quite explain beyond that..
anyway.. Robert seemed surprised too "there's no web on their feet like the ducks"
and i took i don't know how many pictures trying so hard to capture the creativity and color and scallop design of those feet. So, hats off to you, Kevin Malo, you did it! and were justifiably awarded
we just love these black duck-ish creatures with the white beaks and fascinating feet, and they seem to love us too.. /or, at least they love the food from An-Jan's
and, for several days we would just find a place on land to feed them for a bit, until we ran out, but then we got the idea of just how fun it would be if we just sprinkled food as we walked around the entire pond. -would they follow us the entire way around the pond?
and, i'm not certain whether i would have found this quite as thrilling in my 20's or 30's.. but, now that i'm nearly LV
it was a total thrill. darling! walking forward and tossing a few pellets behind us as we made our way around... and to look back over our shoulders and see like, 50 of these little waddlers, plus super duck and his entourage following so close behind
"welcome to the perc pond parade!"
and times, they really have changed this current 5th decade in life, because not only do i so thoroughly enjoy feeding the ducks, and taking long nature walks, but, i'm about to invest in some binoculars
-and they will actually be for bird watching.
i want to get a closer look at these herons! hawks!
and so, all i could do is share about how sweet these little black creatures with white beaks were... and on one of our more recent walks we crossed paths
-distant paths; as they were wearing covid protection masks in the wide open outdoors, so we kept a respectful distance, but
the mrs. of the pair, she told us those black birds with the white beaks are called coots.
and then she said,
she said,
"I HATE COOTS!"
can you imagine? i couldn't believe my ears! "how on earth could you hate those cute little birds with those wildly fascinating feet? they are so sweet!" i said to her,
and that's when she explained to us, that she actually saw a coot kill it's offspring. "They kill their children" she repeated. "I hate them"
they kill their offspring?
and we chit-chatted about other birds, and the perc ponds in general... and then they went their way, and we went ours
and when we got home, first thing i did was start researching about coots.
do you know that term "terrible truth"
well, it is the terrible, awful, disturbing truth, what the mrs. shared with us.
from limited reading, i learned about how coots have several offspring, but will shake the neck of a portion of them so they only end up with one or two.
-scientists project it is because they can only provide for one or two
-it is was considered through a darwinian lens, that the parent saved the strongest two, until research revealed they actually save the weakest two
-is that because the smaller ones will eat less?
i'm not going to pretend to understand any of it. my initial reaction was
"no, no, no.. not my sweet velvet black neck, red eye, scalloped feet cootie pies! i just made them my friends..."
perhaps i was better off not knowing, know what i mean...
and i will have to block it out, that new knowledge, so i can maintain the pleasurable relationship i initially formed with them
my God...! they literally run on top of the water toward their food source (that's us) -it's as near actual flight as you can get, speed wise, without actually lifting off the surface of the water into the air...
SUPER FAST!
and, do you know during my research i saw where someone posted a picture of a coot, and identified it as "the most evil looking bird you will ever see"
wow. -not my experience AT ALL.
and i've just been curious ever since... and i'm sure someone has already done the research, but i'm not curious enough to do even more of my own research
i'm only curious enough to wonder...
if a coot mother kills its offspring -and the actual reason for that behavior is because it is dwindling down to the number of offspring it can adequately care for and feed
if that is its conscious behavior in the natural/wild...
what if a population of coots were provided ample food supply -no competing, plenty for everyone to go around
-does it change the behavior? if the offspring are fed from the get go..
or, is it a hard-wired instinct...
-you know which way i want to believe the outcome would go, -write.
but,
bottom line... i loved them before i learned awful things about them... and, it brings us great joy to visit them, feed them, create a parade...
and we are going to keep doing just that. amen.
posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 8:44 AM
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