Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

     This afternoon, we visited Shamrock Park in Venice.  A great location to get fabulous photos of Florida Scrub-Jays.  They were more than happy to pose for us today.  Along the trails we spotted Downy and Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, Blue Jays, Northern Mockingbirds, Mourning Doves, Common Ground-Doves and Palm Warblers.  We also saw the tiny Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, our featured feathered friend of the day.

     The Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher is a very small bird.  It measures only 4 1/2 inches in length and weighs a "hefty" quarter of an ounce.  They have blue-gray upperparts with white underparts,  a long slender bill, a long white-edged black tail and a bold white eye ring.  Females are a duller gray than males.  In breeding plumage the male has a black forehead and a black line over his eyes.  These are very active birds, constantly flitting around, which makes them extremely difficult to photograph.  More often than not, we're alerted to their presence by their call, a quiet but emphatic high-pitched buzz.       

     The Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher can be found all across the eastern half of the country.  In the west, it can be found in parts of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas.  Here in Florida, they're year-round residents.  The Blue-Gray is the only truly migrating gnatcatcher.   They migrate to the southern U.S., Mexico, northern Central America and the Caribbean.  Enjoy today's photos of the Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher.....tweet.....tweet!!

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
(Taken 2/21/12, Our Backyard)

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher
(Taken 1/25/12, Our Backyard)

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Blue-gray_Gnatcatcher/id