Blue-gray gnatcatcher not easy to spot

The blue-gray gnatcatcher is one of the smallest birds to nest in Southeast Missouri.

It is not often seen and successfully identified by the casual observer because of several factors. Foremost is the fact that it feeds on very small insects and therefore does not come to bird feeders. Also, it is a nervous bird, never resting long except to sleep at night and to incubate its nest of eggs. And finally, it spends a lot of time high in the canopy of trees where it forages for food, roosts and nests.

Luck played a major role in photographing this particular bird. I noticed it coming for fleeting seconds to the same limb of a dogwood tree. Closer observation revealed what the bird was doing. This blue-gray gnatcatcher was gathering silk from the cocoon of an insect that had wintered in a folded leaf of the dogwood. The limb was low enough for me to get a clear view.

I watched as the bird gathered a fast beakful of silk and flew high up into a nearby tree. I knew it was using the soft threads to line and secure its new nest. Focusing on the folded leaf and waiting for the bird to return was the only way to photograph him.

It took probably two hours and several failed photo attempts before I finally got this worthwhile photo. As is often the case while photographing nature, luck, patience and confidence that the subject will return sometimes serve you well.

The blue-gray gnatcatcher has few real enemies. Two that pose threats are squirrels and blue jays; both will eat the gnatcatcher's eggs.

A third enemy is the parasitic cow bird that will lay its own egg in the gnatcatcher's nest. The cow bird egg will incubate and hatch in less time than most other birds, and when it hatches the baby cow bird will shove all other eggs from the nest. The parent blue-gray gnatcatchers will not recognize the hatchling is not their own, and they will faithfully feed the impostor.

Through the Woods is a weekly nature photo column by Aaron Horrell. Find this column at semissourian.com to order a reprint of the photo.