Casey Girard
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riverthrushstudio.bsky.social
Casey Girard
@riverthrushstudio.bsky.social
200 followers 180 following 140 posts
Illustrator, Birder, Non-binary, Autistic.
Retail and wholesale available.
Nature & Outdoors is for Everyone!
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riverthrushstudio.bsky.social
Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · Apr 16
It's been a minute since I posted a cluster, now seems like a good time since I will have these at AVL Downtown After 5 this Friday, April 18th in Pack Square Park. Super looking forward to being in Downtown on what should be a beautiful evening.
Hope to see you there.
A grouping of leaves on a black background. Each leaf has a painting of a bird on it. In a circle around a center leaf top left around, a Black Cherry Leaf with a Carolina Chickadee perched looking left. A Beech leaf with a Blue Gray Gnatcatcher in a downward perch looking right. A Serviceberry Leaf with a singing Carolina Leaf looking left. A Black Cherry Leaf with a Blue Jay perched looking left. A Tulip Poplar leaf with a perched Gray Catbird. A downward pointing Birch leaf with a perched Eastern Phoebe looking right. A Black Cherry Leaf with a standing Great Blue Heron looking left. The center leaf is a Maple with a soaring Red-tailed Hawk.
Reposted by Casey Girard
birdnote.bsky.social
Calling all nature photographers! Submit your best bird photos to BirdNote's 2026 photo contest for a chance to win great prizes and everlasting glory!

www.birdnote.org/explore/fiel...

Mallard Photo credit: Christopher Baker
February 13, 2026 at 5:53 PM
riverthrushstudio.bsky.social
Celebrating the Great Backyard Bird Count at the North Carolina Arboretum tomorrow. Feb 14th 9-4pm #Birds
February 13, 2026 at 5:58 PM
riverthrushstudio.bsky.social
Little leaf flip.
January 27, 2026 at 6:23 PM
riverthrushstudio.bsky.social
Here's a sketchpage of birds not in Western North Carolina, but Western North America. While I lived in California I saw California Quails numerous times. They live in a range of places, deserts to scrubland to oak woodlands. Their call is given the mnemonic of ‘cuidado’ or ‘Chicago’. #birds
A page of sketches in a rich brown pencil lines of California Quails. There are 8 birds drawn, three along the top are smaller than the rest. The larger 6 are generally sized correctly together and have color, done with loose pencil sketch, using dark brown, blue grey, light yellow, and light umber. The top three birds are running from right to left, each in a different stage of a run. The first largest bird is standing facing forward, its head breaks between the running birds, it is male. Below him is a female, walking to the left in profile. Along the left edge are three juvenile birds, their feet vanish behind each other as they are moving in space down the page, the top bird is a borb facing forward and slightly right, the middle bird is in profile walking to the right, and the last in bending to forage facing right. The words Callipepla californica are written in italics above the female and juveniles.
December 26, 2025 at 7:58 PM
riverthrushstudio.bsky.social
The shape of this leaf felt perfect for this painting. The male and female Cardinals, doing their courtship display of the male offering the female food as she begs like a juvenile. #Birds #Ginkgo #Cardinals
November 26, 2025 at 5:22 PM
riverthrushstudio.bsky.social
The plans for the Big Crafty are beginning. I am painting new bird species and designing some different mounting layouts. Cant wait to see you all there!
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#Birds #LeafFlip #BirdsOnLeaves #BirdOnLeaf #GouachePainting #BarnOwl #FallLeave
November 11, 2025 at 2:03 PM
riverthrushstudio.bsky.social
Raven's have so much expression in their behaviors it is hard to choose one pose for a sticker, which would you choose from here? The 3 largest birds here are a Raven that captured and killed a rabbit. It used passing traffic to soften the body for eating. It was wild to watch. #Birds
A page of drawings of Common Ravens. Some of the birds are only done with a rich brown pencil line and three of the birds have color added. There are 7 birds across the page. The top three birds are all drawn slightly smaller. The top left corner has two birds perched next to each other on a rock. Both birds are in profile looking left, one with its back to the left and one with its belly. These birds are line only. To the right of them is a flying Raven, going to the right. It is filled in with black color except for its feet being slightly visible. Below them are two birds each on the ground. The bird on the left is walking forward with its bill open one foot raised and its wings open slightly. It has color added. The bird to the right is in profile as it looks back to the left, drawn only with line. Below these birds are two more. The bird on the left is only line, in profile looking down at a rabbit body under its feet. The last bird on the right is drawn smaller, it is perched on a large fence post in profile looking back to the left.
November 7, 2025 at 2:52 PM
riverthrushstudio.bsky.social
Happy Halloween!
Still painting, painting, painting birds on leaves. Collected together a grouping with more fall leaves under them for some holiday spirit looks. #Birds
A flat pile of fall leaves of many colors, reds, oranges, tans, yellows, and brown with a layer of leaves on top of them, each with a bird painted on it. There is a Great Horned Owl on a Hickory leaf, a Great Blue Heron on a Black Cherry leaf, a Blue Jay on a Serviceberry leaf, a Northern Cardinal male on a Beech leaf, an Indigo Bunting on a Tulip Tree leaf, an American Goldfinch on a Sycamore leaf, a Ruby-throated Hummingbird on a Serviceberry leaf, a Barred Owl on a Serviceberry leaf, a flying Carolina Chickadee on a Sycamore leaf, a Carolina Wren on an Elm leaf and a Tufted Titmouse on a Black Cherry leaf.
October 31, 2025 at 4:21 PM
riverthrushstudio.bsky.social
Painting all the leaves! I am so moved that many folks have found my leaves lately and are wanting to take them home, thank you. Hoping to have online options in November.
#Birds #BirdsonLeaves #FallLeaves
ID A grouping of 7 fall leaves. Each has a painting of a bird on it. The center leaf is largest, it is a Maple leaf with a flying Northern Cardinal. Now top left clockwise around, is a Serviceberry leaf with a Tufted Titmouse standing looking left. Then a Red Maple leaf with a flying Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Next a Birch leaf with a Barred Owl perched looking backwards. Then a Fothergilla leaf with a Cedar Waxwing perched looking left. Next a Maple leaf with a perched female Belted Kingfisher looking off to the left. Finally a Maple leaf with an American Crow perched looking forward and left.
October 17, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Reposted by Casey Girard
npr.org
It's the peak of the fall migration season. This is when bird deaths from window collisions tend to spike, even though simple solutions can prevent this.
As hundreds of millions of birds head south, the invisible danger is glass
It's the peak of the fall migration season. This is when bird deaths from window collisions tend to spike, even though simple solutions can prevent this.
n.pr
October 17, 2025 at 9:32 PM
riverthrushstudio.bsky.social
Having a framed Pileated Woodpecker at my event was nice. I was told many stories. I especially love hearing from folks that don’t consider themselves birders, but will be doing an outdoor activity, see these birds and find the wonder in being w/ wildlife. Thank you for sharing your stories. #Birds
October 14, 2025 at 1:31 PM
riverthrushstudio.bsky.social
Cool caterpillar, probably a Banded Sphinx moth. Still learning my #moths
October 5, 2025 at 1:28 PM
riverthrushstudio.bsky.social
#PloverAppreciationDay late entry This group of Snowy Plovers seen near the UC Santa Barbara breeding zone beach. Even knowing what we were looking for these little birds, we still kept almost walking into them. They blended in perfectly until they would move. None were harmed. #Birds
A page of drawings of Snowy Plovers. There are 7 birds visible on the page, two of the birds are squished together. There are basically three rows each with an adult bird and a juvenile bird. The first row has an adult first, standing head up in profile looking left then a juvenile in profile running to the left with the back leg up in a right angle. The words Anarhynchus rivosus are just above the first bird which is a juvenile running into the middle of the page in a three quarter view. Next to this bird is an adult in profile looking right with a juvenile shoving itself into the adults breast feathers, you can see the juveniles legs and some of its lower body. The final row has an adult foraging one leg down one leg up head down towards the ground going left to right. There is a juvenile on the right mirroring the adult except both legs are down. Both birds' front legs are angling further out towards the middle.
September 26, 2025 at 10:29 PM
riverthrushstudio.bsky.social
cute toad came by. Had to move it back to a safer spot. #Toad
A white hand holding a toad on top almost like a perched bird. there is a foot in the background and dog toys and bed
September 24, 2025 at 7:39 PM
riverthrushstudio.bsky.social
Tomorrow I will be at Art In Autumn in Weaverville, NC, 10-6pm. Come by and tell me a favorite bird story. I love connecting about birds. Last night at Burial it was great to chat about good birding spots, efforts to protect birds, and good clubs to connect with for birding.

#Birds #BirdsOnLeaves
ID A photo of 7 leaves grouped together. Each leaf has a painting of a bird on it. The background is black. There are basically two rows, the top row is a Black Cherry leaf with an Eastern Phoebe painted perched looking let. Next is a Serviceberry Leaf with an American Robin painted, perched looking right (SOLD). The middle leaf is a Maple leaf with a flying American Crow, going right to left. The final leaf in this row is a Maple leaf with a perched male Northern Cardinal body facing left while it looks right (SOLD). The lower row starting on the left is a Birch Leaf with a Downy Woodpecker holding to a trunk. The middle leaf is a Sycamore leaf with a Red-tailed Hawk soaring, mostly centered with its head looking left. The final leaf is a Tufted Titmouse perched looking left.
September 19, 2025 at 2:37 PM
riverthrushstudio.bsky.social
Watching the beauty of each day, the rain, the fall, the birds migrating through.
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#Birds #LeafFlip #BirdsOnLeaves #Woodpecker
September 16, 2025 at 6:19 PM
riverthrushstudio.bsky.social
Drawings of Puffins because they are so darn cute and striking. I love that I got to see a #Puffin, puffing its cheeks, it was having a dispute with another bird. On a quick search I don’t see anything about this being a naming reason, if you know please share! #Birds
a sketchpage of Atlantic Puffins. There are 6 birds drawn in the space, three flying drawn smaller, two standing drawn much larger and one head only that is drawn the largest. The words Fratercula arctica is in the top left corner. Down the left side is a bird taking off with its wings open and its feet down angling towards the right. Below this is a bird that is flying, coming in for a landing, its feet and wings are out, towards the right also. In the bottom left corner is the bird head, it is looking forward with its cheeks puffed out and its bill closed, head angled slightly up. Then there are two birds standing in profile looking left. The lower is full profile with its bill slightly open. The bird behind this one and higher on the page has its body in profile to the left and it is looking in a 3/4 view to the left. The final bird is flying into the page from the right with its wings and feet out.
September 12, 2025 at 5:25 PM
riverthrushstudio.bsky.social
#Monarch on Late Boneset.
September 12, 2025 at 4:36 PM
riverthrushstudio.bsky.social
It's hard to identify flycatcher season, especially as they are rarely calling now. Here is a local usual flycatcher for the Eastern US, and Eastern Phoebe.
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#Illustration #BirdPerson #TinyPainting #EasternPhoebe #LeafFlip #Bird
September 9, 2025 at 4:07 PM
riverthrushstudio.bsky.social
Here are some recent leaves with birds painted on them. It is a delightful process not too unlike birding. Slowing down and being calm with each leaf and examining each bird that is painted. #Birds #🪶
a photo of numerous fall leaves each with a painted bird on it on a black background. There are six leaves two each per row, top row left is a Maple leaf with a perched American Crow(SOLD), leaf 2 is a Tulip leaf with a perched Indigo Bunting. Row 2 starts with an Eastern Screech Owl in a tree cavity on a Serviceberry leaf and leaf 2 is a Maple leaf with a perched Northern Cardinal male (SOLD). The last row starts with a Beech leaf with a swimming Common Loon (SOLD) and finally a Canada Warbler on a Birch leaf.
September 5, 2025 at 4:12 PM
riverthrushstudio.bsky.social
Tuesday Leaf Flip. Fall times Crow Times. #Birds #🪶
September 3, 2025 at 12:04 AM
riverthrushstudio.bsky.social
The rest of the #HawaiianBirds of #AvianAugust. This group has a few of the birds that have been declared extinct. I hope the other birds pictured here don’t end up the same way. Thank you @cookiedoves.bsky.social for making this list for us.
A page of drawings of Hawaiian Birds. Three birds still have populations and four birds are extinct. Listed by each bird is their Hawaiian name, status, number of birds left or when the bird was last seen. The top left bird is a perched Palila, a grosbeak like bird with a yellow head and upper breast and gray across its wing and tail with yellow highlights. The top right is an ‘ō’ō’ā’ā’, it is a black bird with yellow above the leg feathers, it has a longer thin slightly downturned bill, and a light eye. The bird is perched looking alert tail up in profile looking to the right. Below this bird is a Kiwikiu, it is clasping a branch hanging down from it with its tail up. The bird is overall yellow with a darker patches like stripes from the head top and eye, with a yellow stripe above the eye. Below this bird is a ‘Ula’-ai-hāwane, a red, black and grey bird, the grey is on the nap and as light ends of the feathers across the head, black in the flight feathers, upper breast and tail, then red in the belly and shoulders. It is perched in profile looking to the right. The lowest bird on the right side is hanging, belly towards the visitor, onto a stick that is up and down, as it looks off to the left. The bird has a yellow head and a greenish body that is lighter across its belly. The middle bird that is larger standing from the bottom with its head reaching to the almost top of the page, is a shorebird, the Hawaiian Stilt, that is black and white with long pink legs. Its body faces to the right as it looks back to the left. It has a straight dark bill and a the dark feathers run along the back, up the neck and down into the face leaving a white patch above the bill through the throat across the belly to undertail. The last bird, the Kākāwahie is in the lower left corner, it is perched, in profile looking to the right. It is a bright red bird with a short thin slightly hooked warm yellow bill.
August 29, 2025 at 6:27 PM
riverthrushstudio.bsky.social
Leaf flip! Had this Canada Warbler visit my yard today. They are beautiful birds.
#FallMigration #CanadaWarbler
August 26, 2025 at 9:04 PM
riverthrushstudio.bsky.social
More Hawaii Birds for #AvianAugust list collected by @cookiedoves.bsky.social
ID A sketchpage of Hawaiian birds with their names next to them. The title Hawaiian Birds is in the top left corner. All the birds are drawn with a rich brown pencil line and limited colors, each bird with about three colors. The top left bird is the ‘Akiapōlā’au, it is a yellow honey creeper with a long thin hooked top bill. It is perched in profile looking right. The top right corner bird is the Ākohekohe, it is a large honey creeper with overall dark feathers with orangish sections at its nap, over wing, eye ring, and spot near where the tail starts. It also has white feather tips across its belly and a white feather tuft curling over its bill. The bill is straight. It is in profile perched looking left. Below this bird is the Hawai’i Elepaio, a small flycatcher with an upturned tail. It is overall warm brown with black and white feathers in its tail wing and face. It is perched looking left in profile. Across from this bird is the Aniānau, it is a small honeycreeper with a pinkish slightly hooked bill. The males are yellow, this is a male, it is drawn perched in profile looking right. In the middle to the bottom is a Nēnē, which is a goose. It is walking from the left corner towards the right, making its head in profile while the viewer sees across its back. It has a similar pattern to a Canada Goose but there are lighter edges to its body and wing feathers. Then, the light color that goes up the neck into a cheek patch is tan with an even warmer cheek. The dark head color is brown and goes all the way down the back of the neck with stripes through the light zone of the neck. Its bill is smaller and grey. The final bird is in the lower right corner. It is a Laysan Finch, which is a long legged finch for walking on the ground, and is overall yellow with a white under tail and dark edging on the inside of the feathers in its wing and tail feathers. Its bill is chonky and conicle shaped. #AvianAugust is written in the lower left corner.
August 22, 2025 at 5:19 PM
riverthrushstudio.bsky.social
Hawaiian Birds. They are unique and incredible. I wished more of them were ok. It is heartbreaking to begin looking into them. #AvianAugust
A sketch page of drawings of Hawaiian birds that are listed in #AvianAugust from @cookiedoves I wrote their Hawaiian names instead of scientific names next to each bird. The ‘Io is in the top left corner. It is perched looking right, this is a thicker buteo hawk with a brown head and wing with some brown feathers across a light breast. In the right corner down through the right side is the flying Ua’u, a petrel, it is white under wing and belly with warm grey over its head in its primaries, back of wing, and across its back and tail. Between the hawk and petrel are two forest birds, the Akikiki, a greyish creeper bird with a light belly and throat, in profile looking right. Below it is the Ōma’o, a thrush that is warm brown over its head, back, wings and tail with a cool grey belly. It is standing looking left in a very thrush stance. Along the bottom left corner is a Manu-o-kū, a white tern. To its name it is all white with a blue to black pointy bill, a large black shiny eye and blue webbed feet. It is drawn in profile looking left. The final bird is the Hawaiian Common Gallinule, it is walking to the right while looking back to the left. It is a black to brownish bird with long yellow legs and long toed feet, with some red towards the top of the left and a red shielded bill with a yellow tip.
August 15, 2025 at 2:22 PM