Blue-gray Gnatcatcher incubating eggs
Photo by Cathy Cowan

Photo taken May 6, 2007 along Devil's Den Creek in Washington County, PA, using a Canon PowerShot S70 digital camera and a Swarovski ATS HD-80 spotting scope. Interesting note about this picture: This tiny nest, about the size of a racket ball, would ordinarily be obscured from view by dense foliage. However, the severe cold weather in late winter and early spring on the East Coast resulted in many trees, like the oak in this picture, leafing out several weeks later than usual, while the migratory birds arrived on schedule. This resulted in a birds watcher's paradise, affording great viewing opportunites of migrating and nesting birds in trees with little to no foliage. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time when a chattering pair of gnatcatchers drew my attention to this nest. Had the tree been leafed out, I would never have been able to spot it.


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