Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes (and other birds) at Callum Brae this morning

[Martin Butterfield <>]

Nothing like that last photo, but the final stages of our pooch-walk at Carwoola this morning were made interesting by a group of 12 Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes .  About 8 headed off to the North while 4 stopped to catch their breath in a big dead tree.  Such sightings occur from time to time at this time of year and I generally interpret them as a sign that the species is thinking of moving to warmer parts.

Martin

Martin Butterfield

http://franmart.blogspot.com.au/

On 27 February 2016 at 17:34, Steve Read <> wrote:

There were plenty of birds at Callum Brae this morning-  in abundance and activity as well as diversity – so many that Lach and I explored only the western part of the reserve over a couple of hours.  Amongst others, there were large numbers of Red Wattlebirds, Spotted and Striated Pardalotes, Eastern and Crimson Rosellas, Dusky Woodswallows and Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes, and several Fantailed Cuckoos. We didn’t see the White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike reported by Lindsay Hansch earlier in the week, but there was sufficient plumage variation in the Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes to keep us interested (Lach took the photos).

 

Some had the full black face:

 

while a greater proportion had only a small black mask through and behind the eyes (immature birds?):

 

and one (a juvenile bird?) had scaly-patterned plumage on its head and neck in addition to a small black mask:

 

Any comment, particularly on the putative juvenile (other pictures of this bird available on request)?

 

Steve