Mystery bird UK

[policeturner]

This PM I noticed a bird feeding from my seed tube and I cannot find what it is.

It is the size of a sparrow, light brown with a white collar going round the throat about 5-10mm wide, narrowest at the nape of the neck, it had what appeared to be white cheek feathers a smallish beak, it also had a very dark head (different from body) and appeared very nervous but very hungry, it flew off just as I got my camera out.

I am very new to this hobby so I am sorry if this is a common bird, it is just I have been through the UK birds and cannot find any reference to this colouring or markings, any help would be gratefully received.
Thanks

[Bobolink44]

Hi policeturner, Reed Bunting (http://www.surfbirds.com/cgi-bin/gallery/search2.cgi?species=reed+bunting)?

Keep a look out for it and see if you can get a photo as that will help - it could be an aberrant common species or even an escaped exotic.

[policeturner]

Thanks Bobolink44, I will do so. I keep my camera nearby now, just in case, though your photos do show what I think it was, a reed bunting (the third photo, the bright one).

Strange really, I have a place in the broads as well as here in the midlands so will have seen these birds on many occasions, its age you know!

[AndyB]

If you're familiar with Reed Buntings and didn't recognise it, it may not have been. As Bobolink44 suggested, could be an aberrant common bird or even an exotic escape.

[policeturner]

Thanks Andy,

I have re-looked at picures of the reed bunting and I think I can now concur that that is what it was. I expect I got a little excited as I have never seen one of these in my garden, a kestrel with a dead blackbird which it ate whilst I watched was exiting enough, I think I will just keep to the tit family and blackbirds etc, peaceful but not likely to get the heart overworking:smile: