Coot

The grumpiest waterfowl on every canal and pond.

Territorially very intolerant with a fiery red eye. Not interested in building a nest. The one on our neighbourhood pond was probably deaf, too. The nest was built right next to the fountain’s nozzle. The constant clatter of the falling water apparently didn’t interest them one bit.

And such sweet little chicks, eh? Would the red on their little heads be the same as the red in the eye of the adult coot?

Technically speaking, this print is a textbook example of ‘white is the hardest color’. The paper already is white, so that white forehead and beak would blend right in with the light color of the paper. That’s why this coot is looking back, so that the white parts would contrast against the black plumage.

Another characteristic is, of course, those very long, lobed toes. Here too, I had to find a solution to show two legs without getting bogged down in a tangle of toes, or making it look like it was roller skating.