Black-tailed Gnatcatchers at Sorrento Valley?

A quick trip to Sorrento Valley on a beautiful overcast morning, a nice little birding area at the north end of Flintkote Ave. The paved trail winds through Torrey Pines State Park and follows Penasquitos Creek. Nothing new to photograph there today. Most of the shots were of birds perched on a tree hundreds of feet away. Finally at the end of my walk I heard a familiar sound that sounded much like that of a California Gnatcatcher. Excited to photograph some close-ups of these birds, I started to track and follow the calls. The surprise of the morning when reviewing the photos on my computer is that I may have captured some images of what appeared to be a Black-tailed Gnatcatcher instead. But is it just a variance in the tail marking of a California or Blue-gray Gnatcatcher?

The trail at Flintkote Road is a wonderful walking trail but most of the bird subjects are quite far away. This bird is one of the few that is always around all year. The California Towhee, Melozone crissalis measures 9 inches long with a wingspan of 11.5 inches.

A possible Cassin's Kingbird is spotted quite far away. Flintkote Ave is a wonderful place for birders but really quite challenging for bird photographers. There were lots of birds heard but most were spotted very far off and many were in such thick greenery that spotting was very difficult and pictures were almost impossible.

Here is an example of what I was dealing with today. I was so desperate to capture a bird subject, I took a few shots but couldn't figure out who they were.

This is the only large bird that flew overhead. It didn't look like an ordinary seabird. But too far to tell.

Looks like a Cassin's Kingbird came closer but still not a very close shot. Giving up for the day, I decided to head back to the truck. It has been a nice peaceful morning but I wished that I could have something to show you. But you can't always get birds to cooperate and come closer.

I see another bird that looks like a Kingbird but the throat area is really light, the tail seems notched. Could this be a Tropical Kingbird?

He has a bug.

Swallows the bug and shows us the white area on his throat.

Side View.

Front view. The tail is notched.

Frustrated that I couldn't get a close-up shot of the kingbird, I keep walking back to the parking area. A quick shot of a Wrentit before it disappears into the thick underbrush. Wrentit, Chamaea fasciata measures 6.5 inches long with a wingspan of 11 inches. Both male and female have the distinctive pale colored iris.

I'm past the gate and only a few hundred feet away from my truck when I hear a familiar mewing sound. I automatically thought that I was hearing a pair of California Gnatcatchers. Started to search the nearby brushes and found this guy. At first glance, it does look like a California Gnatcatcher but look at the tail. It shows lots of white on the edges.

A good profile of the Gnatcatcher.

Now the tail is more visible.

The description of the California Gnatcatcher and the Black-tailed Gnatcatcher is identical except that my Sibley Guide to Birds 2nd edition says that the Black-tailed Gnatcatchers are paler than the California and the markings on the underside of the tail is different. Could all the wild fires near the border this season pushed this desert bird to the coastal area?

Side view.

The tail. The white marking on the tail looks much like the eastern Black-tailed Gnatcatcher. The underside shows quite a bit of the white edging and a dollop of white at the tip.

Back view. Quite a lot of white on the tail is visible.

But the calls were much like the California Gnatcatcher's "mewing" which the Black-gray isn't reported to make. And our western Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is known to have a call somewhat closer to the California's call.  They all measure 4.5 inches long with a wingspan of 5.5-6 inches.

Another back angle shot.

A front view showing the tail markings.

Closer view of the new tail feathers that are coming in with quite a bit of the white markings of a Black-tailed Gnatcatcher.

Another side view.

Posing sweetly and then they fly off further up the canyon. This was an interesting subject to shoot. Hope I hear from our experts on Gnatcatchers to let me know what I observed today at Flintkote Ave. Was it really a rare Black-tailed Gnatcatcher? No matter the result, it has been another wonderful morning observing this beautiful area in Sorrento Valley. That's what birding is all about, having fun and learning about all the birds. It enriches everyone that participates in this wonderful activity.

Have a fun weekend everyone!