{"id":52889,"date":"2018-07-03T06:13:34","date_gmt":"2018-07-03T12:13:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=52889"},"modified":"2025-05-31T13:53:21","modified_gmt":"2025-05-31T18:53:21","slug":"gray-catbird-willows-and-sunshine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/07\/03\/gray-catbird-willows-and-sunshine\/","title":{"rendered":"Gray Catbird, Willows and Sunshine"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"GrayGray Catbird and willows – Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I have truly been enjoying being able to photograph Gray Catbirds this spring and summer because they are challenging to get out in the open, because I think they are dashing in appearance and their songs always delight me.<\/p>\n

It is wonderful to be able to listen to these songsters while I am photographing other birds and because I can hear them I always keep an eye out for them to make an appearance. When I see them I quickly aim my lens, focus and fire away because they generally do not stay in one place very long unless they are singing for a long period.<\/p>\n

Two days ago when this Gray Catbird popped up neat the top of some willows I was ready to photograph it. Even though I was only able to take four images of it before it flew away I quite liked the setting, the light, the view of the catbird’s eye and its pose. I do wonder why the catbird’s tail looks crinkly and I have no answer to that question but it looks like it was put in one of those contraptions that crimps hair.<\/p>\n

I’ve spent more time up in the mountain canyons this year than I normally do and that has given me many opportunities with this species and other birds that I don’t typically see out in the deserts, grasslands, marshes and sagebrush steppes. This week the temps will be climbing into the triple digits for at least seven days in a row so I might spend all my time in the field up there to escape the heat in the valley.<\/p>\n

I’m happy this Gray Catbird made an appearance because it brightened up my day.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a><\/span> to see more of my Gray Catbird photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have truly been enjoying being able to photograph Gray Catbirds this spring and summer because they are challenging to get out in the open, because I think they are dashing in appearance and their songs always delight me. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":147668,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,3605,1731,26],"tags":[4004,3940,6559,6558,3607,3606,821,11523,6617,9623,2315,619,6725,902],"class_list":["post-52889","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-gray-catbirds","category-summit-county-utah","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-canyon","tag-catbird","tag-catbirds","tag-dumetella-carolinensis","tag-gray-catbird","tag-mimids-2","tag-mountans","tag-rufous","tag-stand","tag-summer-3","tag-sunshine","tag-thicket","tag-willows"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/gray-catbird-willows-mia-mcpherson-0421.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-dL3","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":104614,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/07\/30\/fledgling-gray-catbird-portraits\/","url_meta":{"origin":52889,"position":0},"title":"Fledgling Gray Catbird Portraits","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 30, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday morning while photographing a male Yellow Warbler I caught some movement with my peripheral vison and saw a young Gray Catbird very close to me.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fledgling Gray Catbird portrait, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/gray-catbird-juvenile-portrait-mia-mcpherson-8991.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/gray-catbird-juvenile-portrait-mia-mcpherson-8991.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/gray-catbird-on-stump-mia-mcpherson-9268.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/gray-catbird-on-stump-mia-mcpherson-9268.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/gray-catbird-on-stump-mia-mcpherson-9268.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/gray-catbird-on-stump-mia-mcpherson-9268.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":52728,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/06\/23\/trio-of-gray-catbird-photos-they-are-the-cats-meow\/","url_meta":{"origin":52889,"position":3},"title":"Trio of Gray Catbird Photos – They are the Cat’s Meow","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 23, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Gray Catbirds aren't flashy and except for the spot of cinnamon colored feathers under their tails they are mostly an overall gray with a black cap. While their appearance isn't dazzling the variety of songs they sing certainly can be.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Gray Catbird shaking its feathers, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/gray-catbird-shaking-mia-mcpherson-7847.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/gray-catbird-shaking-mia-mcpherson-7847.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/gray-catbird-shaking-mia-mcpherson-7847.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/gray-catbird-shaking-mia-mcpherson-7847.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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