Rare white magpie spotted near Lowertown, Fishguard

Amateur wildlife photographer Terry Wright snapped the bird in a field near to the old Fort above Lowertown.

He said that it was with three other black and white magpies and that the other birds seemed to accept their differently feathered friend with the four of them taking flight together.

Terry had been tipped off about the unusual bird by his wife and her colleague who had spotted it en- route while driving a school bus back from dropping off children.

Terry, from Abercych, was ‘absolutely thrilled’ to see the white magpie which he managed to photograph after following down a lane and into woodland before following it back to the field.

“I didn’t expect to as the magpie could have been anywhere, they have quite a large flight distance range,” he said.

“I’m absolutely over the moon to have seen it and get the images that I desired.

“The chances of seeing a white magpie are believed to be about one in a million. So maybe I should do the lottery.”

The magpie does not seem to be an albino bird but rather one with a condition called leucism. This is a condition of reduced pigmentation that affects birds and mammals.

It exhibits in overall pale colour or patches of reduced colouring and is caused by a genetic mutation which inhibits melanin and other pigments from being deposited in feathers, hair, or skin.

Terry regularly photographs wildlife for his Facebook page Meander which charts his ventures out in nature with his camera, sometimes accompanied by his two dogs Boy and Luca. He has been living in Wales for the last 15 months and says he absolutely loves the countryside and coastline.

“I have nearly 6,000 followers of whom many are elderly or have mobility issues and are often unable to access nature as they once used to be able too,” he said.

“My followers are often grateful for my posts as they feel that they have been on the journey with me.”

You can visit Meander by clicking on the link above or searching for it on Facebook.