Blue-gray gnatcatchers are very common little guys at certain times of the year, and though they are here year round, they often travel in flocks of migrating warblers. Their call is distinctive and you often hear them before you see them. The tail is actually black with white borders, and could look like it was a black stripe down the center. Gnatcatchers are very tiny, and certainly can hover in front of blooms looking for insects. Here is another link where you can listen to the call, etc, and see if you can pinpoint the ID for sure. Marcia Here is a link that might be useful: Cornell Ornithology Lab

Jeff-that would be my guess too. They have a unique way they bob their tail when they are sitting on a branch or line. We always get a mom that nests under our carport (Central Illiniois) and it is fun to watch how many bugs she brings back to feed the babies. Kara

That's looking more and more like the Teneza. Yes, it has small thorns, hardly enough to stick you and they are widely spaced. This photo of my younger tree shows the texture of the bark and the thorns ... New leaves on the younger tree ... The dark green tree in the center of the photo is my more mature tree which is about 18 ft. tall at 12 or more years old ... It can get larger, but is fairly show growing. I saw one on the south side of town that was about 35 ft tall. One of the nicest things about them is they keep their leaves during the winter which is very unusual for this type of tree. The leaves are slightly more sparse, but that's all. Also the blooms are very fragrant. They produce long seed pots which split open as they dry. Is that a bean pod on the lower left of your last photo?

immature or female Painted Bunting ... not a match because it lacks the distinct dark head. I saw it again today, and the most likely bird is a Lesser Goldfinch. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Lesser_Goldfinch/id