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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal

@hermitthrush13.bsky.social
58 followers 13 following 106 posts

Drawing one bird a day in 2025 | Hermit_thrush13 on IG | Bird biologist who also does art! The bird in my banner is a Kererū and it’s the borbiest borb I’ve ever seen irl 😁 Buy my birds on stuff: www.redbubble.com/people/LadyElizab…

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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 13h
October 6: “Intelligent” and “Amulet” Great Horned Owls are considered “wise” - that’s counts, right? Sharing some October Art I’m making as part of #BirdtoberClub2026 and #Witchtober2026 over on instagram. I’m combining prompts from both challenges. Time for some witchy #birds!
An owl drawn in shades of blue and looking straight at the viewer. It’s wearing an amulet that’s glowing brightly in whites and blues and purples. There are stars on the dark background behind the owl.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Composition was a struggle on this one and I’m still not 100% on it but I do like my choice of a Wood Thrush skeleton!
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
October 5m “Musical“ and “Bone” … Sharing some October Art I’m making as part of #BirdtoberClub2026 and #Witchtober2026 over on instagram. I’m combining prompts from both challenges. Time for some witchy #birds!
An illustration of a skeleton of a bird surrounded by flowering dogwood flowers against a dark background. You can see a glowing string coiled in between the bird's ribcage, which leads to yellow-gold musical notes coming out from its open beak. The glow inside its ribcage is the center point of the lighting in the image, with dark vignette edges.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
October 4: “fruit-eater” and “moon” Sharing some October Art I’m making as part of #BirdtoberClub2026 and #Witchtober2026 over on instagram. I’m combining prompts from both challenges. Time for some witchy #birds!
A Cedar Waxwing with its wings outstretched and carrying a branch filled with red berries. It has a red berry in its beak, too.  Behind the bird is a bright full moon and a dark sky full of stylized stars.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
October 3: “Raven” and “Dive” Sharing some October Art I’m making as part of #BirdtoberClub2026 and #Witchtober2026 over on instagram. I’m combining prompts from both challenges. Time for some witchy #birds!
Three Ravens flying in the glowing green light of a bubbling cauldron. The lowest raven looks about to dive into the potion.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
October 2: “Shades of Gray” and “Card” I made a Secretarybird tarot card to fill today’s prompts! Sharing some October Art I’m making as part of #BirdtoberClub2026 and #Witchtober2026 over on instagram. I’m combining prompts from both challenges. Time for some witchy #birds!
An illustrated "the empress" tarot card featuring a secretarybird. The card shows the head of the bird, which is drawn with teal-green feathers and a crown of darker feathers spraying out the back. Her face is red-orange with a bright yellow beak. A flying secretarybird in similar colors is depicted above the portrait, and the dark teal inset background is decorated with yellow, orange, and red star shapes. The outside of the card is the darkest teal, and along the bottom are the words "The Empress" in yellow-gold.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
I’m back! Gonna share some October art prompts I’m making as part of #BirdtoberClub2026 and #Witchtober2026 over on instagram. I’m combining prompts from both challenges. Get ready for some witchy #birds! October 1 - todays prompts are Aerial Insectivore and Candle, so I drew a Common Nighthawk 💜
An illustration showing the front view of a nighthawk looking up and to its left. There is a candle lit in front of it, the piece is in purples and deep pinks, except for the yellow and orange glow from the candle.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
Yellow-headed Blackbird I’m back for a quick update after a very busy summer! This fantastic icterid was drawn thanks to a private commission. Thanks E! #birds #birdart
A digital illustration of a yellow-headed blackbird.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 24/05/2025
I’m back with a quick Little Spotted Kiwi! Not going to add dates anymore since I’ve not been able to keep up daily, but this was a lovely return to drawing these #birds!
Digital illustration of a Little Spotted Kiwi.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 28/03/2025
Thank you!
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
I will post more birds soon! I was starting to get a bit burnt out since these birds take around 1-3 hrs each, so I’m going to reduce my posting frequency to keep the creativity alive 💜
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
Me too!
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
March 19: Tīeke (North Island Saddleback) Another species that we saw only on Tiritiri Matangi. They were everywhere: flitting around the flax flowers, under the forest canopy, all while calling out with their chattery song that sounds like laughter. Very cool #birds!
Digital illustration of a Tīeke, also known as a North Island Saddleback, standing with one foot raised in the air.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
March 18: Tītitipounamu (Rifleman) This little wren is truly tiny - we were lucky to spot three of them on our trip, but all buzzed around so quickly I didn’t have time to snap a photo! #birds
Digital illustration of a Tītitipounamu, also known as a rifleman.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
Agreed, it was such a wonderful experience when we visited! The forest was so rich with life 💚
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 18/03/2025
March 17: Kererū (New Zealand Pigeon) The largest and silliest pigeons I’ve ever seen. These #birds are chicken-sized and will scare the living daylights out of you when they take flight 😂
Digital illustration of a Kererū, or New Zealand pigeon, perched on a branch.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 17/03/2025
March 16: Toutouwai (North Island Robin) These #birds have super long legs and they’re more curious than anything! We had one hop right up to and between our feet as we sat on a bench in the forest on Tiritiri Matangi, off the coast of Auckland.
A small gray songbird called a Toutouwai, or North Island Robin, standing on the ground.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 16/03/2025
March 14: Pīwakawaka (New Zealand Fantail) This little bird is endemic to New Zealand. We delighted in seeing them when we were there- just a few hours off the plane and we got to see an adult feeding three recently fledged chicks 🥹 #birds
Digital illustration of a pīwakawaka, or a New Zealand Fantail, perched on a small nub of a branch, with its tail spread out in a fan behind it.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 15/03/2025
Week two for March! Still succeeding with drawing one bird a day…even if they might be finished after midnight some nights 😅 #birds
A field guide plate of digitally illustrated hummingbirds, with the word March at the top of the page.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 15/03/2025
March 14: Green Mango A large hummingbird endemic to Puerto Rico! Big, beautiful and green 💚 #birds
Digital illustration of a Green Mango hummingbird in flight.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
March 13: Green-throated Carib Another species found in Puerto Rico! I’d like another look at one someday- my one sighting was so much faster than I wanted it to be. #birds
Digital illustration of a Green-throated Carib hummingbird perched on a twig.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
They’re so pretty!
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
March 12: Rufous Hummingbird Long day for me, but I still had just enough time for this little western dude #birds
Digital illustration of a Rufous Hummingbird perched on a branch.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 12/03/2025
March 11: Puerto Rican Emerald What a joy to see this tropical hummingbird species! They have such fun names, too - emerald, starthroat, mountain-gem - I think we could stand to have prettier hummingbird names up north #birds
Digital illustration of a Puerto Rican Emerald hummingbird in flight.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
March 10: Anna’s Hummingbird Their magenta gorget is stunning in person! All my favorite reddish pinks, shining with iridescence. #birds
Digital illustration of an Anna’s Hummingbird, perched on a small bit of cactus.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
Thank you!
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 10/03/2025
March 9: Costa’s Hummingbird The bright purples of these #birds’ gorgets are…GORGEOUS 💜 Saw my first ones in Tucson and I remember being completely wowed 🥹
Digital illustration of a Costa’s Hummingbird perched on the end of a twig.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 09/03/2025
Oops, and here’s the first week of March all together! I’ve got prints of all of the #birds I’ve drawn this year (and more!) on my Redbubble: www.redbubble.com/people/LadyE...
A collection of seven digitally illustrated birds below the word “March.” It’s a mix of thrushes, and thrashers.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 09/03/2025
March 8: Ruby-throated Hummingbird New week, new batch of #birds! Starting with the only hummingbird native to the Northeast US 🙌
Digital illustration of a ruby-throated hummingbird in flight.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 08/03/2025
March 7: Curve-billed Thrasher A common sight in Tucson, AZ where I saw them for the first time. I love the sounds of the desert! 🌵🏜️ #birds
Digital illustration of a Curve-billed Thrasher standing on the ground.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
March 6: Townsend’s Solitaire I’ve only ever seen one of these before, in Zion NP. Hope to see more someday! We’re nearing the first full week of March- I’ve got one more bird for this batch, and then I’ll have to decide what my theme will be for next week! #birds
Digital illustration of a Townsend’s solitaire perched on an uneven post.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
Yesss those eyes 👀
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 06/03/2025
March 5: Pearly-eyed Thrasher Native to Puerto Rico. These thrashers are super common! I saw tons on a trip a few years ago for the AOS conference and they never failed to charm me 😊 #birds
Digital illustration of a Pearly-eyed Thrasher perched on a post.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 06/03/2025
Hello! Oh that would be lovely, thank you!
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
March 4: Brown Thrasher Another mimic! Where mockingbirds typically repeat in phrases of 3s and 5s, these thrashers repeat other birds’ song phrases in 2s and 4s!
Digital illustration of a Brown Thrasher standing on flat ground.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
March 3: Gray Catbird Fun fact, when I was little I was CONVINCED id come across a real live kitten stuck in a tree -just like on TV! Should I call a firefighter? Before I could decide, I saw this guy fly out 😂
Digital illustration of a Gray Catbird perched on a branch.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
How exciting! I can’t wait to hear ours singing. We do have singing blackbirds though, which I’ll take!
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
March 2: American Robin These are one of my favorite songs to hear in spring. They’ve been gathering in flocks here lately, are you seeing any yet?
Digital illustration of an American Robin perched on a twig.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 02/03/2025
March 1: Northern Mockingbird New month new birds! Let’s start with these incredible mimics - their song is made up of a melodious mixture of other bird songs and it’s fun to try and identify them while the mockingbird is singing!
Digital illustration of a Northern Mockingbird with its beak wide open, standing on a branch.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 02/03/2025
February 28: Pāpango (New Zealand Scaup) Rounded out my duck month with one from Oceania!
A digital illustration of a pāpango, also known as a New Zealand Scaup.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
February 27: Black-bellied Whistling Duck Saw my first one ever about a thousand miles out of its normal range, in a marsh a few miles away from my house 🙌
A digital illustration of a Black-bellied whistling duck standing on flat ground.
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Reposted by Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal
Alex Tomlinson @alextomlinson.com · 26/02/2025
Flat illustration of a Killdeer standing amongst small white flowers. Behind a flower and some leaves is a partially hidden Killdeer chick.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
I’m sure they will! That central migration pathway is huge! Good luck :)
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
February 26: Mallard The quintessential duck! 🦆
Digital illustration of a mallard duck.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
February 25: Northern Pintail That curl of white up the side of its head is the easiest way to identify a pintail. They love visiting marshes with lots of other duck species!
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
February 24: Blue-winged Teal The smallest and cutest 💜
Digital illustration of a blue-winged-teal.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
February 23: American Wigeon That green splash of color and white forehead is one of my favorite bits of duck coloration. These guys make a cute squeaky sound, too!
Digital illustration of an American Wigeon.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
February 22: Northern Shoveler Those bills are just as ridiculous in real life, I love them
Digital Illustration of a Northern Shoveler duck.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
February 21: Barrow’s Goldeneye I saw my first pair in the harbor up on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. Just minding their own business with a view of Canada across the strait!
Digital illustration of a Barrow’s Goldeneye.
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Holly 🦆 Birdy Nature Journal @hermitthrush13.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
February 20: Common Goldeneye A pretty duck I haven’t seen for a long time.
Digital illustration of a Common Goldeneye.
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