Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)
I mentioned Blue-gray Gnatcatchers (Polioptila caerulea) as a current migrant in a recent post, and I photographed this bird doing just that this morning. The wheezing individual shown here was at a migratory stopover site and may have continued flying not long after I snapped this shot. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are at least partially diurnal migrants, and if you are lucky you can find small flocks of several birds heading south together on a day like this one. August may be the middle of summer to us but it is well into fall for the birds. Safe journey, pretty friend! Keep flashing that tail...
Read MoreLouisiana Waterthrush
RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser and I were happy to hear that a Louisiana Waterthrush had already made its way to Connecticut in late March, besting early arrival records in what may be an early spring for many birds – despite this current arctic rebuke. There are even some Blue-gray Gnatcatchers and Purple Martins in the Northeast! Birds like them have a very difficult time getting through freezing conditions, and with overnight lows going deep into the 20s it is going to be a rough ride for these bold returning individuals. This particular photo by Sean is of an individual captured in...
Read MoreBlue-gray Gnatcatcher
This Blue-gray Gnatcatcher was actively feeding at a migratory stopover site, enjoying a bounty of April insects on its way to the north. These little gals and guys are so flashy for such a tiny creature, showing that bright white eye ring and the white edges of their tail to help get that food moving into their target range. I have always had an affection for the species and their wheezing ways, with their call sounding so nasal and almost asthmatic, an affliction I share in the spring. Watch for them at any time at this part of the year – literally – as the unique species is at...
Read MoreBlue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) by Scott Kruitbosch
Hello again, winter! This brutal snap back to frozen precipitation and frigid air is difficult on birds like this Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea). Their wheezing call is a big sign of spring to me but today…I wish them and other insect-eating birds not accustomed to this all the luck in the world.
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