Last year, I photographed a Black-wing Currawong, which is a race of the Grey Currawong.   Here is a Grey Currawong for comparison.

Grey Currawong
Striding around the base of the fruit trees, this Grey Currawong looked like it was on a mission.

The Grey Currawong has light grey colouring, with black primary wing feathers and black around the yellow eye.  The bird also has white tips on the tail feathers, white tips on primary wing feathers  and white beneath the tail.  Breeding occurs between August and December in a large nest in the fork of a tree.

My attention was first drawn to the Grey Currawong when I saw cardboard strewn around our fruit trees.  We’d had some coffee grounds in boxes, waiting to be dug into the garden.  With the rain, my guess is the soggy cardboard held some tasty insects.  I photographed the Currawong throwing a piece of cardboard around to get at something beneath it.

Grey Currawong with Cardboard
Tossing a piece of cardboard around beneath the clothes line. (Painted stump/washing basket rest courtesy of the previous owner.)

A few days later, a Grey Currawong was on a tree-stump, just beside our deck, looking for food.

Grey Currawong on Stump
This shot provides a good view of the markings on the wings and tail.

For some reason, I haven’t seen a lot of Currawongs of any description, so I found the Grey Currawong fascinating to watch.  It is such a striking bird to look at with the black, grey and white markings.  So streamlined and sleek, with a very determined look.  I don’t think I would like to get in between it and whatever it had its eye set on.  With that large sharp beak, and yellow eye, it’s certainly a formidable looking bird.

Beak and Eye
I love the colour of the Grey Currawong’s face with that large sharp beak and the yellow eye set among the coal-black feathers on its face.