Strange Little Bird

I have a bit of a mystery for you today. I saw this little bird high up in the trees at the nature park, but I just don't know what it is. I originally assumed it was another downy woodpecker, since there are so many of them out there this time of year. But this bird's markings don't match one of those at all.

This little bird waas moving around quickly, so it was very difficult for me to keep up with it. I only got these few shots, and these aren't as clear as I'd like. In the first one at the top, it appears that this little guy has a bit of a crest, sort of like a blue jay or a cardinal, but that crest is the only thing that matches those birds. I'm sure it's not one of them.

Here's another picture of this little bird. This time he's looking up to the sky. You can see the light gray color a little better here, but he's still hard to see. Those long tail feathers might be a good indication of what he is for an experienced birder. Unfortunately, I only really know general information because I have to study other types of animals as well.

With the crest, the general color, and the behavior of crawling at odd angles on the tree, I'm beginning to think it might be a tufted titmouse. The tail seems to look similar too, but the bird in my pictures just doesn't look quite round enough. I'm still not sure!

I remember following this bird as it flew to another tree. I took the opportunity to get another picture before it was off again, and this time forever. Now we have a good look at the top of its head! So we now know that he is a light gray bird with black on the top of his head. I think the clues are getting better, don't you?

I guess this rules out the titmouse, if it is indeed the same bird as in the first two pictures. I can't be sure at all since it was very high up in the trees. The black on the head of this last bird indicates that it might be a nuthatch. The problem is that the pattern of the black seems odd to me, and the rest of the body seems to match the color of the first bird still. I'm so confused!

My confusion is not a bad thing though. It means I'm learning. I'm sure I'll see birds like these again. Maybe I'll get a better look when I get another chance. After that, I might be able to identify these birds easily. Of course, any help here is still appreciated. This seemingly futile search has actually been a very fun adventure.