It's possible that the "coot" I saw at Hughes Hollow mid April was not a coot 
but a immature Common Moorhen and this might also be the case for the more 
recently seen coot with a yellow "bill". The suggestion that it might have been 
a tropical species sent me to the central american guides. Stiles and Skutch 
(Costa Rica) plate 7 shows the immature Moorhen (called Common Gallinule) 
with a yellowish bill and possibly shield, the bill with white tip. This is 
consistent with what I saw. It definitely had a shield of the same yellow color. 
The Caribbean Coot on the other hand apparently differs from the American 
Coot only in not having the obvious reddish callus at the upper end of the 
shield but a completely white shield and callus. It's never seen here and 
apparently rare where it does occur.

Phil Brody