[NatureNS] puzzling tiny bird in White Point

From: "Elizabeth Doull" <edoull@ns.sympatico.ca>
To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
References: <BBD64EDC45EF4A2A8FA9B5B1174C3D50@amdx25200>
Date: Wed, 3 Nov 2010 10:43:57 -0300
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I think it is a gnat catcher.  You are very lucky to have it in your yard!

Cheers, liz
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Marg Millard" <mmillard@eastlink.ca>
To: "naturens" <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 2010 10:38 AM
Subject: [NatureNS] puzzling tiny bird in White Point


I have a puzzle I could use some help with if someone has suggestions to
share. I haven't been able to get a photo but will continue with that.

At first I thought I had another hummingbird, a big one. It was hovering at
the honeysuckle hummingbird station where the ant trap is still hanging. I
got excited. But no, it is not a hummingbird...the bird is about the same
shade of olivey gray as a female Junco, it is about 1/3 less or more of the
size of a chickadee. It flits, top side up and down and sideways, under and
over things, always moving. It holds its tail up almost perpendicular to its
backside, slightly to the right and flicks it. The flick seems to affect the
whole body and movement of the bird. Busy thing.!! It is buffy to gray under
and I got the impression of a through the eye stripe but it wasn't really
distinct. It has a thin beak not quite the same as a nuthatch but similar.
Maybe not so curved.
The white breasted nuthatch and a chickadee arrived at the grapevine and
were on either side of it for a brief moment.. Size-wise it is most
definitely less than 1/2 size of that nuthatch. Chickadee chased the little
bird off the feeder where it seemed more to be interested in exploring than
actually feeding. Maybe the seed I had out wasn't to its liking. It did seem
to find something in the leaves of the grapevine to pay attention to.
That tail may have a very faint pattern on it but it didn't stay still long
enough for me to say.
It is one of the smallest birds I have seen, and I can say with some
certainty I haven't seen this before.

Ideas anyone?

Best regards,
Marg Millard, White Point ,Queens
http://MargMillard.ca


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