Steph' Thorpe
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stephbirdart.bsky.social
Steph' Thorpe
@stephbirdart.bsky.social
2.4K followers 2.6K following 3.9K posts
Artist who paints the waifs and stray birds that arrive in the UK. Modelmaker, gardener and Derby County fan. 🚫No AI🚫
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stephbirdart.bsky.social
Post a bird to support @sbworkersunited.org and warn your followers not to buy Starbucks for the duration of the strike 🪶
Set of sketches of a immature male Scarlet Tanager in Yorkshire UK in November 2024. The bird is a large finch, mostly yellow green with slightly browner wings and a newly moulted in black patch on the "shoulders".
November 13, 2025 at 10:02 PM
stephbirdart.bsky.social
This is how most of my art starts out, scribbled, horrible sketches😂
Piece of white paper with a pencil lying across some very scratchy, scribbles of graphite showing an approximation of a wader with a ridiculous spoon shaped bill.
October 30, 2025 at 6:20 PM
stephbirdart.bsky.social
Did this between some commission bird learning, but now not sure whether to add a blue wash to the background of the main bird now... I rather like it as it is but🤔
Finished A4 page of paintings of the White-throated Needletail that was on the UK east coast a couple of weeks ago. There is one main painting showing the underside of the bird with it's brown body, black wings, pale throat and forehead and the U shaped white area at the rear of the body under the short square tail. There are several smaller paintings surrounding this main picture showing various poses.
October 21, 2025 at 5:55 PM
stephbirdart.bsky.social
Needletail sketchbook pages. I made the decision to draw up afterwards as I just wanted to watch the bird. I also struggled to climb the castle paths😞 #UKbirding #birds #birding #birdart #sciart #art
Sketches of a White throated Needletail, a species of large swift. They are in graphite and watercolour. The swift is large bodied with scythe shaped wings and a small stubby square tail. The body is brown with a pale throat, large white horseshoe shape under the tail area. The upper parts have a white patch on the back. The wings are black with areas of blue green iridescence. The bird even looks fast! Sketches of a White throated Needletail, a species of large swift. They are in graphite and watercolour. The swift is large bodied with scythe shaped wings and a small stubby square tail. The body is brown with a pale throat, large white horseshoe shape under the tail area. The upper parts have a white patch on the back. The wings are black with areas of blue green iridescence. The bird even looks fast! Sketches of a White throated Needletail, a species of large swift. They are in graphite and watercolour. The swift is large bodied with scythe shaped wings and a small stubby square tail. The body is brown with a pale throat, large white horseshoe shape under the tail area. The upper parts have a white patch on the back. The wings are black with areas of blue green iridescence. The bird even looks fast! Sketches of a White throated Needletail, a species of large swift. They are in graphite and watercolour. The swift is large bodied with scythe shaped wings and a small stubby square tail. The body is brown with a pale throat, large white horseshoe shape under the tail area. The upper parts have a white patch on the back. The wings are black with areas of blue green iridescence. The bird even looks fast!
October 13, 2025 at 6:01 PM
stephbirdart.bsky.social
The Ogston Reservoir #Derbyshirebirds Ring-necked Duck on 2 dates separated by about 3 weeks in July and August and in vastly differing weather conditions. #UKbirding #birding #birdart #birds #art
Set of sketches in a sketchbook of an eclipse drake Ring-necked Duck. They were painted in dull, flat light. The duck has a slightly peaked rear crown, a general brown colouration with square paler patches on the cheeks and around the bill base. The pale flanks are a rather smooth lighter brown with the ghost of the vertical pale line at the front edge of the flank patch. The tertials are much more worn and paler along with the tail. The breast feathers are thinly fringed paler. The gold eye stands out. Second set of sketches from about a 3 weeks later. The bird was in sunlight and looks much brighter. The head has become more Ring-necked Duck like with a strong peak at the rear of the crown. The brown flanks etc are much the same as before.
October 3, 2025 at 6:52 PM
stephbirdart.bsky.social
Archive from a few years back. I actually won a prize for building this locomotive 😉 Didn't run this year for various reasons😞 I need to repair so sections after the work.
A blue model steam engine with a white cab roof, called Sylvia. She is built to 7/8ths of an inch to the foot scale (works out at 22.5mm to the foot). It is running on my garden railway (45mm gauge track) so is a model narrow gauge locomotive, 2foot gauge at 1:1 like the Ffestiniog etc.
October 2, 2025 at 10:07 PM
stephbirdart.bsky.social
On the off chance anyone hears of any of these going cheap or on the black market see Alt text for details.
A stolen goods alert from Rails of Sheffield alerting about the stealing of the entire stock of Accurascale 4mm scale Tulyar class 55 Deltic models from the Deltic preservation society. If heard about or seen contact the Deltic Preservation Society @deltic.preservation.society on Insta
October 2, 2025 at 4:56 PM
stephbirdart.bsky.social
I didn't post these before but I think I will after all. The Hickling Black-winged Kite.
Set of pencil and watercolour sketches of a Black-winged Kite in a sketchbook. This page shows the bird perched and flying. The bird is a small raptor somewhere between a falcon and a kite in shape with broad but rather pointed silver grey wings with a black patch on the wing coverts (forming the shoulder that was in its old name and now refers to the very similar Australian species). The underbody is white and the upperparts are the same silvery gray as the wings. It has a shortish white tail with a shallow fork when closed. The central tail feathers are grey and contrast with the white outer feathers. The bird looks very white from underneath with black primaries contrasting. It has a typical raptor head shape with a neat hooked bill and a narrow black "bandit mask" through the eye. Set of pencil and watercolour sketches of a Black-winged Kite in a sketchbook. This page shows the bird perched and flying. It is sitting right at the top of the tree scanning the ground for prey. The bird is a small raptor somewhere between a falcon and a kite in shape with broad but rather pointed silver grey wings with a black patch on the wing coverts (forming the shoulder that was in its old name and now refers to the very similar Australian species). The underbody is white and the upperparts are the same silvery gray as the wings. It has a shortish white tail with a shallow fork when closed. The central tail feathers are grey and contrast with the white outer feathers. The bird looks very white from underneath with black primaries contrasting. It has a typical raptor head shape with a neat hooked bill and a narrow black "bandit mask" through the eye. Set of pencil and watercolour sketches of a Black-winged Kite in a sketchbook. This page shows the bird perched in a tree. The bird is a small raptor somewhere between a falcon and a kite in shape with broad but rather pointed silver grey wings with a black patch on the wing coverts (forming the shoulder that was in its old name and now refers to the very similar Australian species). The underbody is white and the upperparts are the same silvery gray as the wings. It has a shortish white tail with a shallow fork when closed. The central tail feathers are grey and contrast with the white outer feathers. The bird looks very white from underneath with black primaries contrasting. It has a typical raptor head shape with a neat hooked bill and a narrow black "bandit mask" through the eye. Set of pencil and watercolour sketches of a Black-winged Kite in a sketchbook. This page shows the bird perched in a tree and they were my first goes as I learned the birds shape. It was difficult through heat haze! The bird is a small raptor somewhere between a falcon and a kite in shape with broad but rather pointed silver grey wings with a black patch on the wing coverts (forming the shoulder that was in its old name and now refers to the very similar Australian species). The underbody is white and the upperparts are the same silvery gray as the wings. It has a shortish white tail with a shallow fork when closed. The central tail feathers are grey and contrast with the white outer feathers. The bird looks very white from underneath with black primaries contrasting. It has a typical raptor head shape with a neat hooked bill and a narrow black "bandit mask" through the eye.
September 24, 2025 at 4:36 PM
stephbirdart.bsky.social
Just found @britishbirds.bsky.social used my American Black Tern as header to the article on the attempted breeding by the Northumberland tern.
A watercolour and graphite illustration of an American Black Tern. The bird is looking to the left and standing on sand drawn in graphite. It has a black body with grey wings rump and tail. The leading edge of the wings has a narrow bright white fringe. The under tail is white. The bill is black with dark red at the base. The shortish legs are dark red. One the lefthand side is a small amount of grass drawn in graphite.
September 2, 2025 at 10:37 PM
stephbirdart.bsky.social
That sounds about right, I have a feeling we parked in this layby on the A3071 and watched in that direction when we watched it come off the roost area... Rather unbelievably there's a pile of gravel in it still 😂 But not as climbable. It's a right jumble of small lanes round Drift isn't it.
Maps screen grab of part of Cornwall showing the map and street view of a layby.
August 29, 2025 at 4:42 AM
stephbirdart.bsky.social
Great idea! I couldn't find my Ross's Gull sketches (my favourite gull) so here's a page of the Cape Gull at Graham in Cambridgeshire.
A page of a sketchbook showing three illustrations in graphite and watercolour, of a Cape Gull. A large dark backed gull species with a heavy, strong pale yellow (brighter at the tip) bill and red spot at the gonys. It is white underneath and the dark grey upperparts have brown feathers mixed in showing it is an immature bird. A striking feature is the odd Pallid grey green legs, unlike any of the usual UK gull species. The main two illustrations are of the bird facing left on the left hand side of the page and on the right a view from slightly to the rear, facing right.
August 20, 2025 at 9:21 PM
stephbirdart.bsky.social
A4 watercolour and graphite commission of the Bempton Pale-legged Leaf Warbler.
Page of finished watercolour and pencil illustrations. The bird is shown facing left on the right hand side showing the relevant ID features, including the darker crow, long pale supercilium and two thin pale wing bars. And the pallid fleshy legs. On the left the bird is pictured in shadow half hidden by branches, but we can see yhe lack of a central crown stripe that would be present on the similar Eastern Crowned Warbler.
August 19, 2025 at 11:00 AM
stephbirdart.bsky.social
Forgot to show this when it arrived. One of my patches puts together a cracking report. And I do the front covers for them. #birds #UKBirding #Derbyshirebirding
An A5 sized bird report for 2024 from Ogston Bird Club. The front cover illustration is of a Shorelark in flight. The bird is pale with a bright lemon yellow throat separated from the belly by a black crescent. The flanks either side of the white belly are buff. It has a black marking on the face too. The tail has white outer tail feathers and black underside. There is a grey background.
August 15, 2025 at 5:41 AM
stephbirdart.bsky.social
In honour of the 1999 Booted Eagle being accepted onto the British list,here's the sketchbook from 25 years ago! First 2 from Cornwall, second 2 from Chew Valley Lake. #Birds #UKBirding #birdart #rarebirdsUK #SciArt #Art
Set of watercolour and graphite sketches of a pale phase Booted Eagle in flight. The bird is a medium sized raptor, clearly an eagle in shape with a pale body and dark undersides to the flight feathers. From above the bird did browner with paler fringes and spots and an obvious pale band running along the center. It has two whitish spots at the bend of the wing by the join to the body. These are very obvious from in front and form an impression of "landing lights". The Booted Eagle in flight from below with two Buzzards. Drawn in graphite. Water colour and graphite of the Booted Eagle on the ground at Chew Valley Lake. It was feeding on a Coot if I remember correctly. Graphite sketches of the Booted Eagle and one with watercolour added of the bird showing it's extremely full crop in flight.
August 13, 2025 at 3:40 PM
stephbirdart.bsky.social
Work in progress... The Flamborough Song Sparrow.
A section of a page of watercolour and pencil illustrations of a Song Sparrow. Top left is a small sketch in pencil of the bird singing. It is facing us and showing the characteristic dark spot in the center of the breast. The main picture is of the bird, a small passerine, with a side and rear aspect. The bird is mainly brown and grey with dark streaks. The breast and underparts are white with black and brown streaking. The bird has a stripy head pattern in grey, brown and black.
August 5, 2025 at 7:00 PM
stephbirdart.bsky.social
Mine is equally predictable...
A phone lock screen showing a photo of an immature Lammergeier/Bearded Vulture rather awkwardly hunched up and sitting in a cave on a rock face. She is mostly mottled brown on her wings and back with dark black primaries and a black head with longer dark feathering over her nape and neck. A staring pale eye is obvious as she glares at us. A clock reads 02.25 at the top of the screenshot, along with the date, day and local weather.
July 27, 2025 at 1:35 AM
stephbirdart.bsky.social
I know what you mean😞 But seeing this lovely Song Sparrow brought me joy. It may be really common in North America but it was only the 11th sighting ever in the UK... And a new bird for me. And added bonus was it was at one of my favourite places on the English east coast.
A page of a sketchbook with pencil and watercolour illustrations of a Song Sparrow. A North American, very streaky sparrow type bird.
June 30, 2025 at 5:50 PM
stephbirdart.bsky.social
Noctilucent clouds!
A dark scene taken at night with urban street lights, but on the horizon are brightly shining silver noctilucent clouds like a silken veil.
June 29, 2025 at 11:26 PM
stephbirdart.bsky.social
Not a bad first rarity through my new #Leica #Ultravids The @flamboroughbird.bsky.social Song Sparrow.
A sketchbook open at a set of sketches of a Song Sparrow with a pair of Leica 8x32 Ultravid binoculars resting on it. A sketchbook page of watercolour and pencil sketches of a small passerine, a Song Sparrow. A streaky and stripy sparrow species with white, grey and rufous colouring. A sketchbook page of watercolour and pencil sketches of a small passerine, a Song Sparrow. A streaky and stripy sparrow species with white, grey and rufous colouring. A sketchbook page of watercolour and pencil sketches of a small passerine, a Song Sparrow. A streaky and stripy sparrow species with white, grey and rufous colouring.
June 25, 2025 at 1:39 PM
stephbirdart.bsky.social
The female Grey Phalarope I saw at Brandon Marsh on 2nd June 2015.
June 4, 2025 at 9:52 PM
stephbirdart.bsky.social
Today in 2022. My almost birthday tick. The Eleonora's Falcon in Kent.
set of sketches in pencil and watercolour in a sketchbook. They are of an Eleonora's Falcon. A medium sized falcon with a strong head pattern with pale cheeks and dark moustache, strongly spotted with dark on its orangy coloured breast, flanks etc on the underside. On the left page are sketches in flight and on the right perched in a tree looking right. A set of sketches in pencil and watercolour in a sketchbook. They are of an Eleonora's Falcon. A medium sized falcon with a strong head pattern with pale cheeks and dark moustache, strongly spotted with dark on an orangy coloured breast, flanks etc on the underside. The bird is perched in a tree. On the left page it has its foot reaching up and scratching it's face. On the left it is per head looking around.
May 28, 2025 at 3:12 PM
stephbirdart.bsky.social
Cell going up to my WNW... Always love the little hat of cloud😂
Photo showing the roof of a house and blue sky, but with the cauliflower clouds bubbling up of a storm cell in the distance... It's wearing a hat of lenticular cloud.
May 21, 2025 at 1:44 PM
stephbirdart.bsky.social
This side of the garden is looking fab! We have juv Robins, Dunnocks, Wrens and Blackbirds feeding in this area and a male House Sparrow is carefully shepherding 3 annoying youngsters😂
View of a garden with mainly pink, blue and white flowers. The plants are quite enthusiastic in growth and the lawn needs mowing.
May 15, 2025 at 6:07 PM
stephbirdart.bsky.social
No rain here at all😞 Caught this rain shaft falling earlier somewhere far away.
Very small rain shaft falling from a dark cloud. Very small rain shaft falling from a dark cloud.
May 12, 2025 at 8:37 PM
stephbirdart.bsky.social
Happy Birthday Julian.
A birthday cake topped with multicoloured candles.
April 30, 2025 at 6:15 PM