In yesterday’s blog I posted pretty photos of placid coots but these birds also have a dark side. They are ornery critters, constantly bickering and frequently aggressive for no apparent reason. Not only do they suddenly swim threateningly towards each other, they often fight quite violently.

This sequence of photos was taken a few days ago at my local lake. The fight began between two birds, then a third joined in, and then a fourth. The gull, it seems, was just enjoying the show!