[EBB Sightings] FLAMINGO and giant coot at Coyote Hills

Standing in one of the ponds among the levees. We walked down Alameda 
Creek toward the bay, and turned left onto a levee that had a 
well-established unpaved road on it, where the power lines cross the creek.

The bird - probably a Lesser Flamingo, judging by the arrangement of 
coral and bright pink plumage, was standing on one leg among a flock of 
Northern Shovelers about a short block away from the creek trail and as 
far out in the pond to the right of the road.

Was it an escapee? Do we have feral flamingos here? Me, I don't care if 
it's official; I saw it and I'm countin' it.

We also saw a coot that seemed to be half again bigger than normal, or 
more. I was sure it was an optical illusion, but then another coot swam 
into the same area and looked quite normal, with cootus giganticus right 
alongside. I've never seen a coot that didn't look like it came out of 
the same coot-stamping mill as every other coot, except this one - which 
was correct in every detail (white beak, black and gray plumage, bobbing 
head) other than the size. Anyone seen that sort of thing?

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