In April several nests are partially begun; these are generally situated in clumps of sedge or rushes, but are sometimes built under bushes, or even trees, at some height above the ground. In one of these partially-built structures the eggs will be laid, and as soon as the site has been definitely chosen a considerable amount of material is added, and the higher leaves of the sedge are often bent over so as to conceal it from above. The young when first hatched are black, with the base of the beak bright red like that of their parents, but after about a fortnight this colour is lost, the beak and frontal plate becoming brownish green. The first few weeks are spent entirely on the water or in the thick cover fringing the banks of a pond or stream, and at such times the half-completed nests are utilised as nurseries on which to brood the young. Both parents feed and tend the young, and on the approach of danger safety is sought by diving. When swimming the Moor-hen proceeds slowly, with a curious bobbing motion of the head and neck, and on land, when undisturbed, it walks slowly, raising its tail at every step and thus displaying the white under tail coverts; if alarmed, however, it lowers its head and runs with considerable rapidity and shows no white whatever. It remains on the ground all day and roosts at night among the sedges and rushes, but in frosty weather it invariably roosts on trees.
The sexes are much alike: the upper parts dark olive brown; head, neck, and under parts bluish grey; the flank feathers streaked with white, under tail coverts white. Bill bright red at the base, with yellow tip in summer; dull olive brown in autumn and early winter. Legs greenish yellow. The young have the chin white, under parts greyish brown; they are also greyer on the back than the adults. Length 13 in.; wing 6·75 in.
THE COOT
Fulica atra, Linnæus
The Coot is found on most of the open sheets of water throughout the country; it differs from its other congeners in being far less skulking and spending most of its time out on the open water, and procures much of its food by diving. Its feet are lobed, that is to say, have flat extensions of the skin which is constricted at the joints, down all the toes.
The nest is a huge structure of reeds and rushes placed well away from the shore, in a small clump of reeds, and the eggs, which number seven to ten, are very pale stone colour, minutely speckled and dotted with dark brown. The young bird when first hatched is black except for his head, which is sparsely covered with coarse down-like hairs of a red and orange tint.
Its food consists of aquatic insects and vegetation, as is the case with the Moor-hen. In winter, although a resident, it collects in large flocks, and many visit the bays and estuaries round the coast, receiving considerable additions to their numbers from the Continent. The Coot is extremely wary and difficult to approach, taking wing on the least sign of danger; it flies well and fast, carrying its legs stretched out behind, but has to run along the surface of the water for some distance before it can rise. The sexes are alike and have the whole of the plumage sooty black, with a narrow white bar across the wing. Bill and frontal plate white; legs dark green. Length 15 in.; wing 8·5 in.
Although as a rule this bird casts its primaries at once, this is not invariably the case, as it sometimes moults them in pairs like the majority of birds.
THE CRANE
Grus communis, Bechstein
Three centuries or more ago the Crane bred regularly in our eastern counties, and for long afterwards it used to appear as a regular migrant every winter. At the present time, however, it is an extremely scarce and irregular visitor. It still breeds in Southern Scandinavia and thence southwards and eastwards throughout the whole of Europe. Its general colour is dark slaty grey, devoid of any markings. The inner secondaries are long and drooping and conceal the tail. The adults have a red warty patch on the crown. Length 45 in.; wing 21 in.