Coots don’t do mediation. If a pair likes the look of or has already staked a claim to a particular nesting place, then they’ll fight to retain / defend that position.

Today I watched these two pairs battling over the pond in Cardiff Bay Wetland Reserve.

It’s actually quite a large pond, which should be big enough for both pairs, but these Coots obviously thought otherwise.

And they certainly don’t pull any punches!