Gray Catbird
Of all the birds that visit our Pollywog Creek backyard, the gray catbird has been one of the least frequent and one of the most difficult for me to photograph.
He's both shy and busy - twitching about and hopping from branch to branch before I can focus - but over the past two weeks, this one has been showing up often. Sittin' on the catbird seat, I suppose.
One morning over a week ago I was taking the photo that I posted for last week's Sweet Shot Tuesday, standing near the honeysuckle vine - the mockingbird's favorite hideway to guard the flame bush berries he's claimed as his own. When I turned around, the catbird below surprised both of us by emerging from the vine. He "mewed" his cat-like call, took one look at me before bobbing his tail and flying back to the thickets along the creek - his normal winter habitat.
Not only did he risk the mockingbird's ire by hiding in the honeysuckle vine, he returned later this week to munch on the flame bush berries, and I have the photographic evidence to prove it.
Yesterday there were two mockingbirds flying in and out of the honeysuckle vine. Nesting maybe? If that's the case, I doubt I'll be seeing much of the catbird again.
