Dear bird lovers
I saw something strange today on my walk up Mt Ainslie walking track – about half way up the first steep bit – a brightly white bird, flying in and around the canopy at great speed after I suppose insects. At a distance the colour was like a brilliant white homing pidgeon but did not move like one.
On closer inspection it would flick its wings when settling into a perch so I thought, ‘Cuckoo-shrike’ and had the body shape, but I cannot find any bird to match it in the reference books – perhaps a variation? Or a juvenile.
I didn’t have binos so the intricacies were not noted but it did appear to have a dull area between the eye and beak but not black. Unless I am mistaken the tail and wings were full white (and brilliant white), no black markings, nor grey. It was in the canopy (yellow box) and I was looking up so I was more or less close enough to see when perched.
Perhaps someone else has seen this bird since it is on a major walking route? It was VERY noticeable. This was at lunch today (4th feb Wednesday) say about 1pm.
Thanks
Jenny Smits
