Chasing the Gnatcatcher's Chase

My favorite “Little Ones” seldom make it past the “Delete File” button on my computer.  Gnatcatchers, Kinglets, Chickadees and such will NOT sit still for my camera!  

But their boundless energy doesn’t stop me from trying.  Sometimes I’m amused to the point of laughter at the funny (and blurry) “action shots” that I catch, and delete. 

My recent trip to Brazos Bend gave me a few keepers of a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.  I caught this Little One attempting different techniques to “gnatcatch” and dine on a slow moving, protein-based life form, innocently perched on a leaf. 

The Gnatcatcher eyes the protein meal:

I swear the Gnatcatcher looked over at me as if to say “Watch this!”

First attempt was an unsuccessful fly by:

Then a surprise attack by leaping upward, and missing:

Finally a calmer, slower,  reach up and grab--success!

And then a rare moment of stillness:

May your day be birdy!