Grey Butcherbird

Family picnic at Lane Cove National Park, Sydney

Earlier this year my wife and I spent a few weeks in Sydney looking after our two grandchildren. This was during the recent school holidays there. We had a ball with our 8-year-old grandson and 5-year-ol grand-daughter. They are great fun and so full of life. They are also taking an interest in our native birds - I wonder how that interest has developed?

On the second last day of our stay, we went on a family picnic. We drove a short distance to one of our favourite places - Lane Cove National Park, about a ten-minute drive from home. We cooked some sausages on the barbeque (see photo above) and had the misadventure of having some of our lunch stolen by the local kookaburras. 

After lunch, I managed to indulge in a little bird photography. One of the local Grey Butcherbirds came to investigate what we were up to, and it posed nicely for me in the afternoon sun. While this is a widespread species in South Australia where we live, I can't really call it a resident species in our garden. It is more of an occasional visitor. 

In Sydney, however, I see or hear it nearly every day when staying with my family. I have also recorded it as present in many places we have visited in the Sydney region over the years. 

Unlike the Laughing Kookaburras, this butcherbird was not interested in snatching our lunch. It kept a keen eye on the ground for possible tasty pickings - such as small skinks, butterflies, bugs, beetles and other insects.

You can read more about Australian birds on my other site Trevor's Birding.

Grey Butcherbird