Any other bird would not have been visible in this shot. Only bright white could work.
This also would never have been a thought using film. Unlimited images is a positive and negative. I’m as guilty (or more) as the next of grabbing shots that should not be considered.

Having learned on 35 mm film I will never go back to being limited to 16 exposures.

What a standout!
A borderline shot actually came out.