iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

I hope this year I can find some salamanders, safely without overly disturbing their homes; if you flip a log to look, you should put it back! Toad visitors have been a little more frequent, here is a mashup of visitors I have seen in the past few years. #Sketchpage #AmericanToad #Toad #SpringTime

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Celebrating the Great Backyard Bird Count at the North Carolina Arboretum tomorrow. Feb 14th 9-4pm #Birds

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 26/12/2025

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

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

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

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

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! . #Birds #LeafFlip #BirdsOnLeaves #BirdOnLeaf #GouachePainting #BarnOwl #FallLeave

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

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

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

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.

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 17/10/2025

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.

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 14/10/2025

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

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 05/10/2025

Cool caterpillar, probably a Banded Sphinx moth. Still learning my #moths

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

#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

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

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

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

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.

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 16/09/2025

Watching the beauty of each day, the rain, the fall, the birds migrating through. . #Birds #LeafFlip #BirdsOnLeaves #Woodpecker

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 12/09/2025

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

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

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. . #Illustration #BirdPerson #TinyPainting #EasternPhoebe #LeafFlip #Bird

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

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.

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

Tuesday Leaf Flip. Fall times Crow Times. #Birds #🪶

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 29/08/2025

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.

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

Leaf flip! Had this Canada Warbler visit my yard today. They are beautiful birds. #FallMigration #CanadaWarbler

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

Hawaiian Birds. They are unique and incredible. I wished more of them were ok. It is heartbreaking to begin looking into them. #AvianAugust

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 08/08/2025

If you haven’t seen it is #AvianAugust from @cookiedoves.bsky.social and the theme is Hawaiian Birds. I drew the I’iwi with Māmane - Sophora chrysophylla, a native Hawaiian tree/shrub that is part of the pea family.

A drawing of an I’iwi, a mostly red bird with black primary and tail feathers and a hooked orange bill. It is perched looking left atop a branch of māmane, a yellow hooded flower with bipinnately compound leaves. The background is a light blue.

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

A month of travel finished yesterday; I got to visit coastal California. It was nice to spend time with shorebirds. They were already plentiful. There are always some shorebirds along California coasts, but most do migrate to breeding locations. One of the species present was the Marbled Godwit.

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 30/07/2025

Finally saw many Nudibranchs on the Mendocino Coast. Glad i was there Sunday instead of today. Here is one of the many Horned Nudibranchs. #TidePools #Nudibranch

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

A final reveal for the Big Crafty a stylized new design for family #Cathartidae. The North American #Vultures are such badasses. They are beautiful birds and an invaluable clean up crew for our world. These birds don’t have voice boxes! The sounds, if they do make them, are hisses or grunts.

A drawn designed image of a California Condor, a Turkey Vulture and a Black Vulture over a wooden carved sign that says family in small cursive letters above the bold capital letters of Cathartidae. The California Condor is at the top looking right standing with its wings and mouth open. The front wing angles back to the left leading down into the Turkey Vulture. This bird is standing with its wings open. The left wing is angling down to the left and the right is open to the right into the Black Vulture. The Black Vulture is stalking off to the right. With its wings fluffed and open as it walks with its foot outstretched in step. Around the top of the California Condor are two arches that resemble rib bones, but are designed to look like part of the wooden carved sign.
The image is a limited color palette of black, warm brown, grey and rich brown pencil lines.

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 04/07/2025

Wishing for America to find her heart today. If you can consider alternatives to fireworks it would be great. They stress out our pets and wild animals, they trigger veterans/survivors. They pollute. I will be home with my noise cancelling headphones at the ready, holding my dog.

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

i found my first dung beetle! Yes there are dung beetles in North America. Phanaeus igneus. Also part of the Scarab Beetle family.

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

My Eastern Backyard Birds art is now a puzzle from Pomegranate Games. www.pomegranate.com/products/cas... #BirdPuzzle #Puzzle

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 20/06/2025

Yesterday was Juneteenth. Hoping it was a great one, I hope those of us that are not Black supported Black businesses or made sure to influx income to Black people in another way. All of us doing little actions actually cause the big changes we hope for in our world.

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

The rainbow bird for the rainbow month of Pride, a Painted Bunting. I have this in a mini frame and it will be with me at Brews and Birds Blue Ridge Artisan Market at turgua brewing this Sat, 12-7pm. #CreateEveryDay #Illustration #BirdPerson #PaintedBunting #RainbowBird #Pride

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 06/06/2025

These birds, I saw in Fort Bragg, CA on a trip up route 1. They were huddled together with Black Turnstones. As the sun hit them they got more active. The Surfbirds, started interacting. First with their heads down, then the open mouth chat. #Shorebird #Surfbird #Sketchpage #NatureIllustration

A sketchpage of Surfbirds, a drawing done with a rich brown pencil line, and three colors, medium grey, yellow and orange. There are four birds on the page, set up as a pair of birds in two interaction poses. The top two birds are breast to breast with their tails slightly up, heads off in different directions as the bird on the left is lower with its bill open. The bird on the right has its head facing to the right, we can just see the edge of its head. The lower two birds are facing each other in almost a mirror image, heads are down with their tails up as they walk together. There are designed splashes around them.

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

Happy Pride month! . I have an event this Saturdary, June 7th at Nerd Pride Fest. I am very excited to be included at this event. It is going to be a fun filled day. We will be at Warren Wilson College, 10-4. #Osprey #BirdsOnLeaves

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 01/06/2025

more brood XIV cicadas, they jump onto you so easily. This is amazing to be living amidst.

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

Announcement for Black Birders Week Event: Murmuarations of Color - Visual Sensory Workshop with Afrofuturism Collective May 30, 2025 2pm EST @blackafinstem.bsky.social

Aposter of the western sparrows of North America. They are individually drawn and collected onto this poster. The poster is hanging on a grey wall.

An image about the event, the background color is light brown and brown. it has the same words as in the post as well as photos of each speaker, Binta Dixon, Dr Mel Michelle Lewis Mykah Scott and Harrison Watson.

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

Sparrows peak my interest for focus, instead of saying favorite. Gulls is the next family. Of course, I love all the birds. I was pumped to hear #BlackBirdersWeek’s theme bird family is Sparrows this year. The weeks events start this Sunday May 25th! Follow @BlackAFinStem for more details.

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

A Spring Beauty Miner's Bee covered in the pink pollen of the Spring Beauty flower. Happy #WorldBeeDay

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

One of my recent leaves that already found a new home. . It makes me happy when people share their love for this little herons with a surprise long neck! . #GreenHeron #LeafFlip

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 16/05/2025

Sparrows as another reminder, #BlackBirdersWeek is coming up May 25th! @blackafinstem.bsky.social This sparrow is one of the specialists of the South. It needs specific spaces of old growth pines with grassy under story. They are not often seen and as they secret themselves away in this landscape.

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

This weekend is a celebration of Mom’s. Wishing all the Mom’s out there special attention and some pampering.

A floral wreath circling a Mother Mallard and ducklings. The flowers are Ninebark, Tulip Tree flower, Bleeding Heart, and Dwarf Crested Irises wrapping from the left down around to the right corner. The ducks are swimming out from the wreath to the left, Mom in back ducklings spread out across the left lower corner. The words Happy Mother’s Day is between Mom duck and the wreath.

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

Shakey flippy leaf. . Sometimes i like that the leaf is see-throw so you get a hint of what you will see. This one has found a home. Thank you! #BirdsOfNorthAmerica #DailyPainting #EnjoyYourWorld

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

Buzz pollination is when a bumblebee vibrates in a way that causes the plant to give up its pollen. Some plants are only able to be pollinated through buzz pollination, including tomatoes. You can’t only have honey bees, you need Bumble Bees, they are the ones helping a tomato make a fruit!

A page of drawings of Two spotted Bumble Bees and Rhododendron flowers, a pinkish-purple variety, probably a cultivar of Catawba Rhododendron. In the top left corner is the name Bombus bimaculatus next to a flying bee, its wings split forward and backward as it flies to the right, with its tongue visibly out. It moves towards a left facing Rhododendron flower with water drops across its lower petals. The drawing includes the base of this flower cluster, with unopened buds and lines of the leaves. Rhododendron is written along it. To the left of this and lower is a full inflorescence of rhododendron flowers drawn smaller. To the left of this are the words buzz pollination, written going down the page. There is then a full flower facing open and to the left with a bee flying into it from the right. In the lower left corner are the words, while there is pollination most reproduction from stolons, which is clonal. In the lower right corner is another flower with a bee crawling into it.

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Casey Girard @riverthrushstudio.bsky.social · 30/04/2025

i want to know everything about this little beetle. How could you not?

A very small beetle with antenna that have feather like arts coming off of only one side of them. The shell wings have two lumps towards the top. It is a overall dark little beetle.

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