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Aria Vink

@thesoaringpencil.bsky.social
221 followers 107 following 100 posts

Nature and wildlife. 🌿 Books. 📚 Science. 🧪 Dabbling at writing 🖋️ open.substack.com/pub/thesoaringpen…

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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 24/04/2025
Every single part of nature is an unintended work of art, a masterpiece of millions of years of survival and adaptation. A walk through nature is not only a walk through an art gallery, but also a walk through ancient history. What an incredible world we live in. #nature #naturephotography #plants
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 15/04/2025
Watching these black-necked stilts dance and fight was an amazing spectacle to watch. One of my most memorable birding to date. #birding #naturewriting #photography #wildlife #wildlifephotography open.substack.com/pub/thesoari...
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 10/04/2025
“Mom! Food goes in my mouth and not on my face!” Adorable sandhill crane colt. #babybirds #birding #wildlife #photography #sandhillcrane #nature #birds
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
Guys, this is grass. GRASS! It’s an exquisite piece of art. A bracelet with flowery ornaments straight from a jeweler’s. Nature is amazing. #photography #naturephotography #grass #naturewriting #flowers
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
The mulberries are growing fast! Can’t wait to snack on them in a few weeks. #plants #mulberry #nature #photography #macrophotography
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
On his way to tell me what he thinks of my invasion on HIS beach. This ruddy turnstone looks like he can deliver some serious pecks. #birding #birds #wildlife #photography #nature
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
I had my finger very close to it (almost touching) and it didn’t move. (To take a picture for size) They’re quite docile in my experience. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them shake the web? Would love to see that!
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 22/02/2025
Different kind of friend during my trail run this morning. These golden silk orb-weavers are beneficial spiders because they eat many insects that are harmful to plants. Despite their menacing look, they are actually very friendly. Definitely friends even though not friend-shaped! #spider #insects
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 21/02/2025
Making friends with the local mob. #squirrels #wildlife #animal #animals
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
Saw the first sandhill crane couple on their nest earlier this week. This gorgeous male and his lady were out eating grubs yesterday and I can’t wait for them to start building their nest either. The season of baby pictures is almost upon us! #birding #photography #sandhillcrane #birds #birdphotos
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 14/02/2025
Happy Valentine’s Day! May your day be more successful than the lads in our yard. #birding #birds #naturewriting #photography #wildlife #birdphotography #valentinesday
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Dating Gone Wrong: Valentine's Day
This is a bonus post for Valentine's Day about the failed courtship attempts that happened in the yard this past week. Not only humans have disastrous dates; birds do too. Apparantly.
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Armand Sarlangue @armandsarlangue.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
Soft pre-sunrise light over the textures of Badrenas in northern Spain… #bluesky #photography #landscape #art #geology #nature #travel
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
From the storms to the sun-filled meadow, it perfectly reflects our moods and emotions, making us indistinguishable from nature in every sense of the word. #nature #naturewriting #landscapephotography #photography #scottishhighlands #travel
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Adrift on the River of Possibilities
Join me on a sensory journey through lands of purpose and wander with me as we climb the magic mountains and swim the faerie pools of the Scottish Highlands.
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 09/02/2025
The local ospreys are busy building their nest. Can’t wait for baby season! #birds #birding #osprey #birdsofprey #nest #photography
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
Het is een omgedraaide wereld
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
They get a handful of peanuts from me by hand. The feeders are filled with peanuts too for the blue jays but I have to keep the squirrels from it. The cone works so far!
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
Besides that, it’s too expensive to fill up the feeders every single day. Without the squirrels eating it, the seed lasts much much longer.
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
They already have plenty of food with all the fruit in the yard, they do not need to be fed any more 😁
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
I love watching them! Their silly personalities and acrobatics
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
They’re bold! Now that they can’t eat the seat, they come over to me and beg for peanuts. I relent because I don’t went them to call the mob on me 😂
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
Oh goodness. That’s a large bird ;)
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
Yeah we don’t really get bears in our yard here. I can imagine it’s hard to keep them out!
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
It’s a grey squirrel! The cone I have it really wide and I have to make sure the station is not close to a tree because they’ll just jump onto the station from the tree.
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
Since I hung the Cone of Starvation on the feeding station, the squirrels haven’t been able to get to the bird seed anymore. This lady was not amused with my decision and proceeded to give me the side-eye for at least an hour. #squirrel #wildlife #photography #naturewriting #animals
A squirrel in a tree
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Kai Hornung @kaihornung.com · 30/01/2025
A calm moment at a not so calm place #photography #longexposure
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Armand Sarlangue @armandsarlangue.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
Frosty Forest… From my beloved French alps 🌲🏔️❄️ #bluesky #photography #landscape #art #nature #forest
Frozen forest. The tree silhouettes reveals from deep winter fog. Tones are blue.
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Christopher Harrison Photography @charrisonphotos.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
A few snaps from a visit to Morocco a couple of years ago. #morocco #landscape #travel #dunes
Lightning over Marrakech in the beautiful country of Morocco. Moody clouds, and the famous Kutubiyya Mosque tower. The Milky Way photographed above the Sahara Desert sand dunes in extremely dark skies. From Morocco.A Berber leads a camel through the Sahara sand dunes in black and white.Sunrise casts a warm glow through dust kicked up by cars below. Distant towns can be seen as well as mountains. From the barren landscapes near Marrakech in Morocco.
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
Here, a burrowing owl for your viewing pleasure. #birding #owls #birds #nature #wildlife #photography
A burrowing owl in the grass
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Owl Daily @owldaily.bsky.social · 26/01/2025
Great gray owl in a forest. Location: Finland 📸 npekonen #wild #Owl #Bird
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 25/01/2025
We had two new visitors today! Never seen ruby-throated hummingbirds in the yard before. I love it! #birding #bird #photography #hummingbirds #nature #wildlife
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 24/01/2025
It’s a great name for a snake, honestly! The corn snake in our yard will now be called Snickers. Thank you!
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 24/01/2025
Now that Jean, Frances, Martha, and Bob have been joined by two other males, I need names! Please give me your best names for the two new male painted buntings. #birding #birds #photography #nature #wildlife
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
Guys, would you look at this!! It looks like Bob does not have the three ladies all to himself, but he has competition from two other males! You have no idea how excited I am to finally have them on camera. #birds #birding #wildlife #photography #nature #paintedbunting #birdphotography
Painted bunting males and female at the feedersPainted bunting males and female at the feedersPainted bunting males and female at the feeders
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
Dick and Petunia got a lot of attention with my last post, but they are not the only visitors of our yard. Meet the rest of them! #birds #birding #nature #naturewriting #photography #wildlife
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Backyard Birding #1
A monthly photo essay of all the wonderful birds that visit the yard. From year-round residents to seasonal visitors.
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David C. Simon @davidcsimon.bsky.social · 19/01/2025
Common Bronzewing (male) preening on my balcony. #birds
Photograph of a medium-sized pigeon standing on a metal post. It is a a mostly brown bird, patterned with white, orange, grey-blue, and purple. Many of its wing feathers are iridescent, having the appearance of bronze in diffuse light.Photograph of the same pigeon preening, framing its wing and head. Its neck is bent over so its head is upside down as it runs its beak along a wing feather. Its metallic wing feathers are raised slightly for easier access.Similar to the last photo, but zoomed out slightly and with the metallic feathers in focus, showing a range of colours including orange, yellow, blue, green, and purple.Photograph cropped to emphasise the beauty and complexity of some of the the Bronzewing's metallic feathers, with enough detail to make out some of the individual hair-like filaments that make up the metallic effect.
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
Dick and Petunia spent their morning bickering as usual. Today’s fight was over the peanuts. Petunia said she wasn’t hungry but then proceeded to steal Dick’s peanuts. Dick left the scene rather deflated. #birds #birding #photography #nature #wildlife
Blue jay in a tree Blue jay in a tree
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 16/01/2025
The blue jay loves the peanuts, the red-bellied woodpecker loves the shells. They seem to have figured out a great partnership. #birds #birding #nature #wildlife #photography #woodpecker #bluejay
A blue jay with a peanut in shellA woodpecker with a shell from a peanut
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
This is still one of the most epic places I have been to, and one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. #travel #iceland #thorsmork #nature #landscapes #horses
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Land of Ice and Fire
A photo essay of the Thorsmörk region in Iceland, an area so gorgeous it takes and keeps part of your heart, forever imbedded in its beauty.
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 13/01/2025
Earlier this week, I was surprised by a visit from a black-and-white warbler. This was the first time I had seen one of them in the yard. It’s such a pleasure watching them hop along the branches. The sapodilla tree harbors many bird species. #birds #birding #nature #wildlife #photography
Black and white warbler in a sapodilla tree
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RoppityPhotos.bsky.social @roppityphotos.bsky.social · 12/01/2025
#BarredOwl #Owls #Birds #Wildlife #Snow My favorite spot to photograph #Harry along the Heritage Trail in Goshen NY🪶
Barred Owl perched in a cavity with snow on top of head.
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 12/01/2025
Good morning! ☀️ #beach #ocean #nature #tranquil
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Armand Sarlangue @armandsarlangue.bsky.social · 11/01/2025
Probably my favorite location in Northern Spain… Always amazed by how varied is the landscape in that part of the country. Captured as 360 aerial panorama, at sunset. #photography #nature #landscape #art #mountains #lake #sunset
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 11/01/2025
Ran my first 5k race this morning and it was good for a second place finish in my age category! Despite my back injury and lack of training, I was only 10 seconds off my 5k pr time. Back to my normal half marathon training now! #running #5k #workout #run
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 10/01/2025
Mosses up close are such beautiful microcosms. Tiny little ecosystems almost forest-like. I will never get tired of moss. #moss #nature #mosses #ecosystems #microcosm
Several species of moss on a tree
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Psychoticstate @psychoticstate.bsky.social · 09/01/2025
Frosty morning walk ❄️❄️💖 #Macro #nature #photography
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 09/01/2025
I was thinking the same thing! Many a horse would have taken off in panic
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 09/01/2025
After 4 years of trying to attract them, I finally saw a painted bunting female at the feeders yesterday. The excitement is real! #birds #birding #nature #photography #wildlife
A painted bunting female at a feeder
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Aria Vink @thesoaringpencil.bsky.social · 08/01/2025
Sandhill cranes are one of my favorite birds. Sometimes, I get lucky and get to experience them up close and personal without interfering. This photo essay was from a magical encounter I had last year. #birds #sandhillcrane #naturewriting #wildlife #photography #birding #nature
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A Tiny Giant
A morning spent in the presence of sandhill cranes is a morning well-lived. A morning spent in the presence of a sandhill crane chick is a morning lived in happiness.
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