5-Star Coot nest

This couple have set up home near the Reading Town centre lock of the Kennet & Avon Canal. I noticed it the other day all made with leaves, but this time it was occupied. They have chosen a lovely place with a lot of interesting and colourful rubbish around them :)
One was sat in the nest and the other was preening her until they were at last both sat down. the problem with the location is that about 6 feet away there is this big dead fish caught in the branches. It's going to be fragrant there soon!!!! I'll have to remember to keep visiting, and I might just catch something good as it's quite open (photograph-wise). Or I might just catch something horrible as I'll have to get very close to the fish :)

awww poor fish, I can't stand the smell of fish do you know like when it's nearing the end of the day and you can smell the fish as you walk past the fish counter yuk yuk yuk , that is one counter I always avoid. Obviously these coots don't mind it and it will be nice to follow their progress :)

Great photos Louise. Be interesting to see the follow ups

As for fish neither. I feel sick if I pass a fish market Yurk

I'm not a big fish lover, but the other half is. Unfortunately, because I love him that means that I make a few more fish dishes than I would like... and I HATE preparing fish :13: It's going to smell horrible by that nest!

That looks like a Pike.

Oh well. They tend to come up and just grab ducklings and suchlike so I expect the Coot did it in. It wouldn't surprise me

Hey - I could fish it out and feed it to my other half... that would teach him to make fun of me :-)

You could but don't tell 'em Pike

I agree about the smell when passing a fish counter. However, being born in Fleetwood, which at one time was the third largest fishing ports in the UK ( Its now a container port and a passenger vessel port for the Isle of man and Ireland cos of this fish quota stuff), the sight of the Trawlers returning from Iceland and the smell of freshly landed fish was fantastic.

By the way, a small piece of info that might be of use is, if buying frozen, in packets from the shop(any shop) only buy fish that is named i.e. Cod, Haddock etc. never ever stuff that is marked as WHITE FISH this is made up of all the different types of white fish they cannot sell otherwise. This goes for fish fingers, fish cakes etc.Even on these products,if it doesnt name the type of fish....steer clear. All WHITE FISH is in one way or another....a right old mixture...Here endeth the lesson. Sorry from going on so. Anyone now thinking......Whoops?............... Tis all true, in my younger days I used to work the fish docks

Oh Yes fish fingers are mixed fishes if it says other wise it's Cods wallop

Some.... Ross, Birdseye etc do name the fish....Freds Fantastic Fish Fingers and the like, do not