Snow Bunting?

[wheaten]

In the last 2-3 weeks we have had a strange looking bird in the garden. At first sight we thought it was a part albino chaffinch but hadn't seen it with the other chaffinchs in the summer, it hangs out with a flock of sparrows. I looked up snow buntings and it is very similar to them but we live on the English/Welsh border. Could it be a 'lost' snow bunting?

[NazNomad]

When you say 'very similar', in what way?

http://www.rspb.org.u...didentifier/form.aspx might be useful if it had features that you could easily identify.

... and keep your camera handy, we want to see it. -))

[welshlibranr]

Well wheaten, with the way the weather has been, it well could be!............lovely that you have seen it!............Make sure to feed it, and the other birds too!.......

[Prudie]

Great for you if it is one and post in the 'twitchers' sticky in Environment on here - Ed's given a month's trial to see if we can maintain interest in birds enough for its own category to be created.

[NazNomad]

It 'could' be an albino sparrow, of course ...

[Buenchico]

A brambling perhaps?
http://www.rspb.org.u.../brambling/index.aspx

Chris

[NazNomad]

Hmm, I wouldn't say you'd mistake a Brambling for a Snow Bunting.

[wheaten]

Hi Naz, well it's chaffinch sized, finch beak and has a brown upper body and white edges to its wings, white under body and face with brown streaks but with no pink/red breast. My dad didn't recognize it either so I'll ask him too. Hi Welsh, I tried to take photos but it was foggy and I got flash back from the window! Will try again and also look at it through binoclars, I have several bird feeders and feed all sorts of seeds etc to encourage them to the garden.

[welshlibranr]

Good on you wheaten, we all have to do our bit for your feathered friends, look forward to seeing the photo, if you manage to capture it!.............not easy!...........

[NazNomad]

If it's social enough to be hanging around with sparrows, you might be lucky enough to get it close enough for a good photo ... It doesn't sound like anything I've seen over at the West side of Wales.

[burnhal]

no reason at all why it shouldnt be a snow bunting- normally scotland and the east coast and north wales in winter but our recent bad weather could pop them up anywhere