The hopes of catching a glimpse of a rare migrating species on the far side of a hazy pond are so often dashed by the little white bill of this common fowl coming into focus. Another darn coot.

The first dead bird that police patrolling the river spotted was a common loon, which is listed as a sensitive species in Washington ... Officers then found 20 dead coots and one wounded coot ...

The wetland, the second-largest in the National Capital Region, is a critical habitat for resident and migratory water birds ...