Just seen a bird that looks similar to this image of a twite.
https://www.rspb.org.uk/globalassets/images/birds-and-wildlife/bird-species-illustrations/twite_1200x675.jpg?preset=landscape_mobile
But I can't imagine it was. I'm in South West Wales. I was walking along a heath/moor type landscape with a lake and lots of heather type flora all around. It flew onto a branch a meter away from me so I got an incredibly good look at it up close. Fat and small, sparrow sized. A finch like light yellow beak, a buff/brown colour all over with lots of fine light brown / grey stripes running from the head all through the body. Very faint lines, lots of them all over. Like the image of a Twite above, but not like the videos of a twite I have seen.
It flew off in front of me and had a black tail with white either side of the tail feathers, which is more chaffinch like. I know chaffinches, and this didn't seem like one at all as it had no distinguishing patterns on the face, apart from all the fine grey/light brown stripes.
It might have been a redpoll of sorts, or a linnet? - but it had no red at all. More of a yellowy appearance.
The area doesn't seem right for a twite.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
Could it have been a female house/tree sparrow?
no - although I'd love to see a tree sparrow. But it had lines all over its body. Thanks for the suggestion !
Another suggestion 'Dunnock'?
HERE
Thanks for all your suggestions! I think the closest contenders are: linnet, reed bunting, an actual twite afterall, a juvenile/wintering yellowhammer, or a lapland bunting as these lines are very similar. But the first image was the spits of it, a twite. Just doesn't make sense.
Are lapland buntings around Carmarthenshire at this time of the year? I'm guessing not.
Yellowhammer also seemed very similar as I did remark that it had a yellowish appearance, but very muted.
I've really appreciated your suggestions. I'll ask Father christmas for better binoculars and I'll go hunting for it again :D