There is no doubt that I love photographing majestic raptors, like the bald eagles that I regularly feature. Yet there is something equally special about capturing images of tiny songbirds, like this perky little Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea) that I spotted earlier this week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
How small are these birds? According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are 3.9-4.3 inches in length (10-11 cm) and weigh 0.2-0.3 ounces (5-9 grams), just slightly larger than a hummingbird. The same source notes that, despite the bird’s name, gnats do not form a significant part of a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher’s diet.
Who comes up with these names?
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Great capture
This one is soooo sweet 🙂
Perfect.
Very sweet capture, Mike!
Those tiny ones are so sweet! How do they stay warm?
I think that they go south for the winter, but even so, at this time of the year we are still having some frigid nights.
Reblogged this on Wolf's Birding and Bonsai Blog.