Wildwestbirds

Richard Anderton is an international ornithologist a bird-recorder at the Swiss Ornithological Institute.He was also involved in numerous publications such as The Birds of Graubunden and the Swiss Atlas of Breeding Birds.He also served as a volunteer resident ornithologist at Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park in New Mexico. An established blogger, Anderton has studied birds while living in Switzerland, Morocco, Spain, USA and Costa Rica. Below: Anna's Hummingbird USA

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Winter waders in the west

The American Avocet in winter

On the shortest day of the year, way out in the West San Francisco bay, there are the most gorgeous monochrome creatures performing their dance. On saline mud flats as they feed on crustaceans, this delicate and magnificent bird known as the American Avocet Recurvirostra Americana perform a bill-swinging waltz. Nevertheless, these apparently fragile birds, will chase off Northern Harrier by forming a unified defensive group for aerial counter-attack .