BIRD OF THE WEEK: BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER
This little bird entertains me year-round. I often see them in my mesic and hydric pine flatwoods as well as flitting around the cypress swamps. I love watching them forage for insects, insect eggs and even insect larvae! Have you ever watched a bird hunting insects? It can be hard to follow them because they can move so rapidly after their prey. They are such adept little flyers they even take insects on the wing. One of my goals this year is to photograph a nest. They make little cup nests out of materials like grass, leaves and spider silk and often cover them with lichens. Both parents help with incubation which takes 13 days, and then both parents help to feed the young over the next 2 weeks. If you look closely, you can see the white eye-ring which can help you tell this little songbird apart form others. Hopefully you'll see one of these guys in your neck of the woods soon! 
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