Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Photos

Photography by Terry Sohl

My Favorite: Active little gray ghosts of the forest, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are a challenge to photograph, both because of their behavior and their habitat. They do sometimes come down lower in the forest canopy and offer photo opportunities, so I have some photos from over the years. Still waiting for that perfect pose and lighting, but my favorite photo for now is from Beaver Creek Nature Area in South Dakota, from May 8th, 2015.

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Polioptila caerulea


Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 4
July 1st, 2006	July 1st, 2006	May 16th, 2012	May 16th, 2007
Big Sioux Recreation Area, South Dakota	Big Sioux Recreation Area, South Dakota	Big Sioux Recreation Area, South Dakota	Newton Hills State Park, South Dakota
Gnatcatcher on dead branch of eastern red cedar	Gnatcatcher on dead branch of eastern red cedar	Inquisitive bird in the sun on a tree branch	Singing spring bird

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 5	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 6	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 7	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 8
May 16th, 2007	May 18th, 2008	May 8th, 2015	July 13th, 2008
Newton Hills State Park, South Dakota	Big Sioux Recreation Area, South Dakota	Beaver Creek Nature Area, South Dakota	Big Sioux Recreation Area, South Dakota
Bird partially hidden in shade and brush	Singing bird on barren branch	Spring gnatcatcher in profile	Gnatcatcher on eastern red cedar with berries

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 9	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 10	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 11	Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 12
August 28th, 2009	August 28th, 2009	May 8th, 2015	May 8th, 2015
Newton Hills State Park, South Dakota	Newton Hills State Park, South Dakota	Outdoor Campus, Sioux Falls, South Dakota	Outdoor Campus, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Chirping bird on dead branch	Late summer bird on dead branch	Profile of gnatcatcher on barren branch	Profile of gnatcatcher on barren branch

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 12
May 23rd, 2020
Beaver Creek Nature Area, South Dakota
Singing male on tree branch