![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/gray-catbird-1588-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"gray-catbird-1588-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nUnidentified insect prey. I’d like to change that.<\/p>\n
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1\/3200, f\/5.6, ISO 1000, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n Two days ago in the Wasatch Mountains I watched as this young Gray Catbird plunged into a cluster of willow leaves and emerged with an insect larva in ‘his’ bill. Then he held this pose for quite a while, as if he was trying to decide what to do with it.. Eventually he took off with it still in his bill but he took off away from me so I struck out with the takeoff shot I was after.<\/p>\n While processing the photo I became curious about the insect.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n It has a rather unusual shape on one end, enough so that I thought it might be distinctive enough for some of my readers who are more entomology inclined than I am to identify it. When I enlarge the image even more than this, the insect’s anterior end appears to be on the far side of the bird’s bill and it looks to me like there are two tiny curved ‘claws’ at the posterior end. And then there’s that strange swelling near the posterior end.<\/p>\n If anyone out there can come even close to a a positive ID of the insect I’d appreciate knowing your thoughts. I have no clue and I’m curious.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Unidentified insect prey. I’d like to change that. (2 photos)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/gray-catbird-1588-big-crop-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"gray-catbird-1588-big-crop-ron-dudley\\"")
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