This tiny little Blue-gray Gnatcatcher ventured out on a bare tree branch, and actually stayed still for more than a second or two – very unusual for these active little birds! I caught sight of him rustling around overhead on a recent walk at our nearby National Wildlife Refuge.
“The energetic Blue-gray Gnatchatcher rarely slows down …” A mere 4″-long, weighing 1/3 of an ounce, this bird is “… a busy forager. It flits through dense outer foliage, hops and sidles along branches, peering with quick head movements to glean small insects and spiders.” (https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Blue-gray_Gnatcatcher/id).
It always makes me smile to see one!
Birder's Journey 
Lovely shot!
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Thank you, Belinda! So nice to be back to WordPress and to see your lovely posts!
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I’m glad to see you back as well. Thank you.
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I wonder if such restlessness is a self-protective measure for the bird.
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Could be! They are also working very hard to catch all those little insects.
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What a sweet little bird! I’ve never managed to photograph this one. Beautiful capture!
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They’re not as speedy as the hummingbirds, but they are certainly in constant motion. Yes, a very sweet little bird!
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I had the privilege of having one BGGnatcatcher in my backyard a couple of years ago. I did not have any problem to photograph it. It does move a lot but I’m used to “hyper” birds. You captured this one very well. 🙂
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Lucky you to have a Blue-gray gnatcatcher in your backyard, HJ. You do a dazzling job with so many beautiful little birds – and it’s clear that they love your yard 🙂
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Nice shot of a lovely little bird.
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Thank you and thanks for visiting!
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Great shot – these little buggers are hard to photograph!
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And they’re so darn cute! Thanks for your visit, Kathy.
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So beautiful against the blue sky!
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It was a perfect day!!☀️
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Lovely! I love the clarity of the bird. 🙂
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I really appreciate that, Amy! He really was a wonderful contrast to the narrow dark branches and bright blue sky.
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The smaller they are, the faster they move, and more difficult to photograph. Good working catching this one during a moment of rest.
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So true. Thanks. I was lucky to catch him out in the open with good lighting.
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Nice to see you blogging again! And such a beautiful picture of this little bird. They are truly difficult to capture.
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Thanks so much! It’s great to be back on WordPress after an absence of many weeks, but it will take me awhile to catch up with what everyone’s been up to! I always think of you as a neighbor, even though we’re on different coasts! 🌴☀️
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I hope you and your neighborhood did okay when Irma passed by. We did good, although nature suffered some damage.
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We were in Chicago for our son’s wedding when Irma hit our area – Lucky timing!✨ Many of our neighbors lost power, and many trees were uprooted and seriously damaged. But no injuries or home damage. Glad to hear that you fared well, too.
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