Avian Art

If you enjoy pictures of birds, there are two new books worth checking out. One is called Seabird, by a mother and daughter duo, Angela Harrison Vinet and Janis Hatten Harrison. 

It's a lighthearted guide to birds living in the coastal areas of North America, and full of illustrations. Most depict the feathered creatures sitting quietly. The laughing gull, though, with its open beak, seems to be chuckling, if not vocalizing. And the black skimmer's unusual method for getting food is depicted: The beak is used to skim the water for fish. 

For more, visit https://www.quarto.com/books/9780760393574/sea-bird.

There's also Isabelle Groc's A Hummingbird on My Balcony. This has lots of colorful photos and is about an Anna's hummingbird which built its nest on a family's balcony. There's a shot of the babies snuggled inside, but they are difficult to make out. Happily, that's not the case where the mother is feeding her youngsters--or when one of them is literally spreading its wings. 

Also included are pictures of Rufous hummingbirds, feeding on nectar from flowers.

With their green, red, and pink colors, hummingbirds have been referred to as flying jewels. And while the book focuses on just a couple, there are as many as 350 species.

Go to https://www.orcabook.com/A-Hummingbird-on-My-Balcony for a look inside.