I'd like to identify some small birds I've been seeing in my garden, today swarming over some vegetable plants that had ants on them. The birds are mostly grey, very cute and fluffy like a small mouse is cute (not much neck so the head is right on the body). They are very quick, both in flying away and in pecking at the ants. When one flies away, the others follow quickly. They come back just as quickly.

I'm not much of a bird watcher, so if there are certain characteristics I should watch for, please tell me.

I'm in S. Calif, Topanga Canyon near Los Angeles.

John