Tweeters,
I need some ideas in an effort to I.D. a bird I saw yesterday. I was
hiking a timbered area next to a wetland near Renton and observed a bird
carrying a large insect. I watched it for a moment and it flew to a nest at
the top of a 8' tall shrub. I won't get back to the area until the young
fledge and I want to collect the nest as part of a research project, but I'd
like an idea of species I.D.
The bird was tiny, chickadee sized or smaller, with no visible crest.
It was a non-descript dull grey color and it's nest was a tiny open cup like
flycatchers make. It seemed to have a relatively long tail which wagged a
lot. It resembled a gnatcatcher in shape and proportion, but my bird book
indicates this area is outside their range. Any ideas?

Terry Whitworth, Ph.D.
Entomologist