#ArtAdventCalendar

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Sarah Rainsberger @sarah11918.rainsberger.ca

#ArtAdventCalendar Day 8 - There are only so many different looks you can get of (literally the same) birds, so part of the "art" for me is being present, focused, and patient to be there for a pose that's a little more uncommon. Bonus when you get a great view of all the various feathers! 🪶 #birds

A blue jay perfect on a wooden railing. It is facing the camera with its head lowered, almost at its feet, yet looking straight ahead. Its tail is fully fanned out to show typical blue jay tail features: brilliant blue with black stripes all the way down, and bright white at the end, as if dipped in paint. Its wings are only somewhat out from its body, not fully extended but in a hunched position as if ready to take off. This exposes the back wing feathers, which are smaller "squares" of varied blue, outlined in black, with again white tips. The main wing features are only starting to fan out, revealing a delicate fringe. There are so many blues going on in this photo, including the more muted head crest and back feathers, which are a greyish hue. Its white and black face with black beak are pointed an angular, and the sun casts a small shadow of the face and beak on the wooden railing itself.

December 8, 2024 at 5:19 PM UTC

Sarah Rainsberger @sarah11918.rainsberger.ca

#ArtAdventCalendar Day 7 - Back to #birds ! 🪶 Chickadee, showing you everything it's got!

A chickadee (a tiny, grey bird with black and white face) flying horizontally against a blurry forest background. Its wings and tail feathers are entirely fanned out, with a sunbeam hitting one wing to reveal its delicate, translucent wing feathers. Because it is flying on an angle, its as if you were viewing the bird from the top, looking down. However, its head is turned so you can see the right side of its face clearly.

December 7, 2024 at 9:26 PM UTC

Sarah Rainsberger @sarah11918.rainsberger.ca

#ArtAdventCalendar Day 6 - shaking things up for Friday! I'm an alto, with a tenor range, who always wanted to be a bass. And my fave thing to do is harmonize. Covid put a stop to choir. So, one (very) hobby "art" is doing so many of the parts myself you forget I also try to sing the soprano line.

December 6, 2024 at 9:32 PM UTC

Sarah Rainsberger @sarah11918.rainsberger.ca

#ArtAdventCalendar Day 5 - Tiny, but mighty, greenfinches. 🪶 #birds

Two small greenfinches (yellow/grey birds) battling in mid air, feet locked. This could be a "handshake" if they weren't so obviously in aggressive poses. They are only a few inches off the ground, which is fine gravel with a few scattered leaves and berries. The upper bird appears more grey, with only hints of yellow, and delicate black wing and tail tips. The lower bird is a paler grey/yellow.

The same two birds fighting, both mid-air with wings outstretched. One bird is higher, with more pronounced dark grey face and wing/tail tips. The other bird, below looking up, is more yellow throughout, with paler grey wings. Both birds have aggressive faces, beaks open, and claws out.

December 5, 2024 at 10:14 PM UTC

Sarah Rainsberger @sarah11918.rainsberger.ca

#ArtAdventCalendar Day 4 - Great Blue Heron. 🪶 #birds

A Great Blue Heron (very large mostly greyish sea bird with long yellow bill and bright yellow eyes) flying low, almost horizontal over a muddy marsh. The outstretched wings provide a clear view of its under wings and belly, and long, lanky legs are dangling down.

December 5, 2024 at 12:53 AM UTC

Sarah Rainsberger @sarah11918.rainsberger.ca

#ArtAdventCalendar If you photograph birds, you inevitably end up with a lot of bird *butts*. Front or back, I've never seen a chickadee that wasn't adorable. Sad to see you go, but love to watch you take off...

A black and white photograph of a chickadee (tiny plump bird) from behind. It is "walking" on a wooden railing with scattered seeds with its wings as outstretched and feathers fanned out as much as they can possibly be. It is a contrast of a tiny, round, plumb, fuzzy body clomping on the seeds with long, thin, delicate, and in places seemly transparent, feathers.

December 4, 2024 at 12:13 AM UTC

Sarah Rainsberger @sarah11918.rainsberger.ca

#ArtAdventCalendar A common house sparrow standing its ground: a bit punk and a tad defiant. Although the most common bird in most places, eBird just can't seem to accept that this is NOT an "unusual" sighting in my backyard! So, I always feel a bit of a rebel myself when I record this observation.

A slender house sparrow (tiny brown bird with beige breast and darker brown head and wings) standing stall, head facing to the side, on a wooden corner railing. Because its wings and back are barely visible, its colouring is fairly subdued, and the orangey eye stripe stands out against its brown head as its most visible feature, which is a bit punk rock, matching its confident glare into the camera. The grass blends away to a solid block of green in the background.

December 3, 2024 at 12:44 AM UTC

Sarah Rainsberger @sarah11918.rainsberger.ca

I'll at least start #ArtAdventCalendar and see how far I get! I'm an accidental, amateur nature photographer and birder. I love the challenges (and rewards!) of an unpredictable, uncontrollable subject. Known for such text messages as, "Will be late; following a butterfly."

An aggressive looking blue jay in attack mode on a peanut sitting on a wooden railing. It is just about to land, and its feet are poised to grab the peanut, head is down with beak open, and one wing of incredibly rich blues dotted with white and black is extended. This action is all happening against a blurred, snowy forest landscape.

December 1, 2024 at 9:07 PM UTC