Eurasian Magpie at Port Hedland, WA and other reports

["Mike Carter" <>]

Simon Mustoe raised the possibility that this bird might be a Black-billed 
Magpie. No chance! With ships arriving at Port Hedland daily from Asia it 
would be that taxon rather than its relative from North America. The 
differences are slight the most obvious being a grey band across the lower 
back/rump but that area of the plumage is not visible in the adequate but 
rather ordinary photo. Parsimony states such criteria unnecessary.
This is one of a few strange occurrences I've heard of recently. Currently 
there is a rather pallid looking 'Barbary Dove' on Lord Howe island thought 
possibly a natural arrival from the feral NZ population. Another is an old 
observation from a person (nascent birder) who produced photos of a duck we 
identify as a Lesser Whistling Duck taken in Malaysia which, he claims, is 
the same species as a bird he saw at the sewage works on Christmas Island. 
You may remember that a putrid unidentified duck was pulled from a tank 
there last year.
Mike Carter
30 Canadian Bay Road
Mount Eliza  VIC 3930
Tel  (03) 9787 7136