Birds as Art

Welcome to the Birds As Art Exhibit

...on display at The Saratoga Public Library in Saratoga, California, during September and October, 2009.

Everything you see on our web pages you can see at the library in full size as framed, art-quality images. Our focus is on large images that are best seen "live" on the wall in person. We also have storyboards of great photos that are slightly smaller with informational text intended for those not yet familiar with birds or where to find them. We included maps to the places where the photos were taken.

This web site is here to assist in your family adventure of discovery. After your visit to the library, we hope parents will take kids on "field trips" to discover these dynamic and diverse creatures while having a fun outing. Having seen a great bird photo, it’s much easier to see them again in their own habitat, and the more often you see them, the easier it gets.  Inexpensive binoculars bring the birds up closer to help you to see details.

And, these birds are very easy to see if you are in the right place. Why? Because they are very large birds. Photography is hard enough if your subject is a building or a landscape, but little birds have wings and disappear into trees. So, we mostly have big images of big birds--and a few ducks and water birds that will stand still or float close by to have their photo taken. For example, the Herons nest together in large breeding colonies at our lake parks, like Almaden and Vasona, and along the bay, at Palo Alto Baylands. They are also very, very slow hunters. Once you spot a hunting Heron, you are going to be ready to leave before he is. If a fish gets too close, you get to see how quickly they can move to capture prey!

Because you need to know where to go, exactly, each bird has its own flagged location on one of our Google maps. The maps are "live" and interactive, so you can use your computer to get directions from your house directly to the birding location. You can "zoom" to the location on the map and even find a place nearby to get lunch for hungry young birders after a morning outing.

Enjoy your adventure!