What kind of small bird might feed on insects fluttering around my porch light at night?

[Flaxbee]

I apologize in advance: I'm not very knowledgeable about birds. I have a feeder outside, and know the little ones who regularly visit - chickadees, house wrens, cardinals, goldfinches (I'm in northwestern Virginia), but tonight when I got home around 9:15 pm I saw something I've never, ever seen before: a small bird (definitely NOT any type of owl or other 'typical' night bird) flying the length of my covered (but not enclosed) porch. I'd left the light on as I usually do when I know I'm going to get home after dark.

The bird was small (probably could have sat in the palm of my hand), and she flew around a bit - seemed to approach the moths - sat on one of the pillars under the porch roof, then on the ledge right below the roof, and then after about 2 minutes she flew off. I didn't get a very good look at her, but it seemed to me her wings, when against her body, were rather pointed downward, and it seemed as if she had a long, thin beak.

Google hasn't helped me at all. Hopefully with the above info someone can make some suggestions. It was sort of magical, and I'm hoping it doesn't indicate she was in any distress. She seemed to fly just fine, but as I've said, I have never, ever (in 2.5 years here) encountered a bird along our porch at night, and I get home late quite a bit, and/or my computer faces the front windows so I'd likely have seen something like that before (I keep the blinds halfway up so our kitties can bird-watch early in the morning from their window perch).

Anyway, thanks for any help.

[RandySF]

1. Martins?

[Flaxbee]

4. no, looked like she had a long, somewhat curved beak

but I didn't see her too clearly.

[Betsy Ross]

2. Not a bat? nt

[Flaxbee]

5. definitely was a bird. I've seen many bats, this was a feathered bird

and I'm clueless!

[Curmudgeoness]

3. I first thought "bat", but if it perched and you saw it,

that does not seem likely. Besides a bat would not look that tiny flying.

I have no idea what it could be, but there are times when a bird that is normally only out during the day will be around a light if it is close to the nesting site and is quite bright. And I have even seen hummingbirds out at night, but I have only seen them feeding on night flowers.

The long thin beak makes sense, since most birds that feed on insects on the fly will have a beak like this. Either that or swallows and chimney swifts, with beaks that look non-existant but have huge mouths when they open. Could it have been a swift and you didn't really see a long beak?

[Flaxbee]

6. well, she wasn't really tiny - just small. But bigger than a chickadee

I asked my husband to look, and he also got the impression of a long, thin, somewhat curved beak.

[NCarolinawoman]

7. First thing that comes to mind is a Gnatcatcher.

I had to refresh my brain about these little guys.

Went to one of my bird books and then on line. The description and photo of a Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher seems to fit. I even saw a photo of one with its wings pointing downward.

The only thing that confused me was your seeing it flitting around in the evening. I guess a total insectivore has to do what it has to do---maybe fattening up for its migration?

[Flaxbee]

8. thanks, NCarolinawoman. That could very well be what I saw --

I'll never be sure since my view of her was for only about 1 minute. I was startled because I wasn't expecting to hear wings fluttering around, let alone see a bird after 9pm when it is most definitely dark here...

But the images I saw fit. And she was clever enough to check out the bugs around the porch light, so more power to her.

[Baitball Blogger]

9. Probably a wren. They're not afraid of house structures.