Gnatcatchers catch my eye

On a relatively quiet morning at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, I approached a trail intersection near the old AT&T Building One site and spotted movement about halfway up some tall trees. Birds, undoubtedly, but what were they?

As one flew from one branch to another, I spotted its white breast and gray wings and head. My first thought was “chickadee,” but I got only a glimpse. There didn’t seem to be any black on the bird.

It wasn’t alone. I spotted three others like it flitting about that section of trees but couldn’t get a clear shot at any of them through my binoculars. I waited for at least five minutes, figuring I should move on. But an unusual pang of patience kept me stationary, camera at the ready, hoping one of the birds would come a little closer.

One hopped onto a clear branch, and finally I was able to focus.

What I was seeing were blue-gray gnatcatchers. They were moving so quickly that I don’t know whether I got photos of more than one bird. On the computer screen at home, I found several shots of tree branches sans oiseaux, but there were half a dozen frames with a bird in focus. I’ve included my two favorites here, and I’m pleased to present them to you. 🦅