On 8/4/08 10:35, in article ,
"Jeff Layman" wrote:

Sacha wrote:
I'm bad indeed at bird recognition but I saw one the other day that I
really do not recall before. It was a very little larger than a
sparrow and much the same colour but while it was on the ground, its
tail had a constant 'bobbing' action, rather like a wagtail. Can
anyone help me ID this one?

Bunting? Redpoll? Greenfinch?

Just possibly a bunting, though reading the RSPB site, I gather they're now
on the Red List. That site doesn't say anything about the tail wagging
thing for a Bunting. It wasn't a Redpoll and we do have green finches
around in some numbers but it wasn't that.

There are a number of juvenile birds around at the moment which are "sparrow
like". Female birds of some species are often rather dull and completely
different from the males. This can make ID difficult. Even female
chaffinches or bullfinches might look a little like sparrows, especially in
poor light.

Are you sure it was a little larger than a sparrow? Some birds have their
feathers so puffed up against the cold that they look a bit larger than
normal!

Just a bit larger I'd say and with a much longer tail.
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'