On 2013-07-01 14:17:05 +0100, David Hill said:

On 01/07/2013 13:38, Sacha wrote:
I'm also going to put this in the bird group but I have twice seen a
new-to-us bird in the garden that I don't know. One of the nursery team
has seen it, too and he doesn't know it either. I saw it from a
distance so my description isn't going to be perfect! It's a bit bigger
than a blackbird and appears to have a dark back and belly. But it has
white cheeks and (I think) a pale 'chin' and white flashes in the wings.
If the bird I saw this morning is the same as the one I saw a few days
ago, the white wing markings are very distinctive as it flies away from
you, against the dark brown or black of its body. There may be a flash
of white on the tail and there may be a lighter brown or chestnut cap to
its head but I'm not at all sure of those. On both occasions, it was
feeding under conifers, once under the Atlantic cedar and once under the
Pinus montezumae. It was feeding from the ground with an aggressive and
frequent stabbing motion.
We live surrounded by farmland in the South Hams and our garden has
extensive cover for birds.

I know it's not quite as you describe it but could it be a ring ouzel?

That's a distinct possibility, though it might not be the bird I saw in
flight unless the silvery feathers edging its wings would show as white
bars? Seen on the RSPB photo it's very similar to what I saw this
morning. This one was alone and close to the house, which doesn't seem
to be descriptive of the ring ouzel. Otoh, we are close to Dartmoor
which it is said to like! To save effort and duplication I've x-posted
this to uk.rec.birdwatching.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk