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
