I haven't posted much about Bushtits (
Psaltriparus minimus) lately. It's not that I don't love them. I adore them, and I love watching flocks of them work their way through the brush nibbling small insects and the like. They will flit by practically in front of my face hardly caring that a gigantic monster could almost reach out and grab them. But they
never stop moving! I just can't seem to find the energy to try and track them, get them in focus, and snap a picture before they jump to the next branch.
But then today I was wandering along the Tuolumne River trail as I often do, and a small group of them perched on a bush just a short distance away. And waited. And waited. Until I decided to pull out the camera and snap a few pictures, and then they twittered away to the next bush. But then they really did let me take a couple of shots before disappearing again.
They breed along the trail. I haven't found any nests yet this year, but they are truly unique and often well-hidden in plain sight. They are sock-like bags made of webs and fibers that look like random plant debris. It is a little unsettling to see the mass moving and squirming, but then it's better when the cute little bird sticks its head out the top to look around.
Great that you were able to get these photos of the bushtits. I saw a flock of them in the oak tree outside my window two days ago and did not know what they were. I used the "Merlin Bird ID" app on my phone to record the chirping sounds they were making, and it quickly identified them as bushtits.
ReplyDeleteNeat to see what they really look like and their nest.