Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Posted on May 12, 2008 at 04:25:53 PM by Nath Rockhill
Yesterday (Sunday) morning at about 7:30 I watched two small gray and white birds busy in the trees at the bridge where Doyle Rd. enters the Victoria Road (CKL 35). Although I hadn't seen one before, my 1st instinct was that they were Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, and based on their white fronts, white eye-rings, no obvious wing bars, and an indistinct black line above the eye of one I was content with that ID. But when I started to enter it Chris Ellingwood's CKL checklist, I saw that it's considered "very rare" and should be reported to the rare birds committee. So I'm reporting here instead in hopes that someone can find it again and confirm or correct my ID. (I didn't look for or notice a black tail ...) I went back this morning and stayed from about 6:45 to 7:30 with no luck, but birds e.g. the Gray Catbird, that were there yesterday seemed to arrive later today, so who knows.
The birds were seen in the trees immediately at the south edge of the stream on the west side of the road.
It's a nice spot to visit even if you don't seen anything rare -- look out for the beaver and the mink, as well as warblers, etc. Replies: There have been no replies.