Up close gnatcatcher
It was warm, almost hot this afternoon, and after my granddaughter and daughter-in-law headed back north, I piled my plumbing tools back into my cart to check on my neighbor's plumbing problem. A very loud Ovenbird greeted me as I neared the house, but the bird refused to show itself, so I didn't get the photo I would have loved to add to the database. Before I had the chance to pout very much, a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher gave me its buzzy warning call then bounced into view to scold me for my intrusion into its territory. This is probably a male, but it's quite a different bird from one I photographed in April. That Blue-gray was in its relative glory, with a dramatic white eye ring and a handsome black line above the eye; this one, with the breeding season nearly over, is definitely fading. It remains, however, feisty.