brown bird with black head??? where are the crows???

[bunnygarden]

Hello, new to this forum, hoping someone will have the answer. For a couple of days have noticed in my garden on the tree a small brown bird, about the size of a great tit. This bird has a black head, just on the top, looks like a little wig! Any suggestions as to what it is?
Also, while I`m here, a couple of years ago I had crows in my garden eating from my bird table [my garden is quite small and backs onto fields]. But for the last year I`ve seen a few crows in the field but they won`t come near my garden, infact I haven`t seen many crows in general [I live in Wiltshire]. Although they were really greedy, they certainly cleared up my leftovers, perhaps they have gone off my cooking!

[Ollie]

Hi Bunnygarden and welcome to WAB.

Just a wild guess on your bird but it could be a male Blackcap. There are a few that over winter in the UK these days.

As for the crows I have always found crows to be fairly shy but very intelligent birds that are wary of coming to bird tables.

[FUDGEY]

As Ollie says probably a Blackcap, but a Male Reed Bunting could also be a possibility.

[htcdude]

As Ollie & FUDGEY have said sound much like a Blackcap from your description, a nice garden bird

Nige

[Richard Baber]

Hi Bunnygarden

Does your small brown bird look like my avatar? Blackcaps have becoming increasingly common winter visitors from the continent and often turn up in gardens. They are, for me, a sign that winter has definitely arrived. I love them! Females, incidentally, have a brown cap.

I have crows around too, but they very rarely venture into my garden. I think you were probably lucky to have them visit in the first place.

Richard

[bunnygarden]

THANK YOU everyone for your replies.
Hi Richard, my brown bird is very brown, much like a sparrow, but chubby like a robin can be. The black on its head seems to be sticking up, not laying flat, Elvis looking!
As to the crows, it was mentioned that they are shy birds. When they were visiting, bringing their young ones with them, I had one bunny hopping around the garden, now I have four, so perhaps there is too much activity.

[Richard Baber]

Hi bunnygarden

Blackcap's bodies are basically brown, with a grey neck. They often raise their caps. There are many excellent photos of blackcaps and reed buntings in the Gallery on this site, for instance, this excellent photo of a blackcap taken by BillyPilgrim:

(I hope it's OK to show other people's photos in my posts!)

Richard

[RobinP]

Another possibility might be female Bullfinch, certainly meets the 'chubby' criteria though I haven't heard of them raising a crest.

Robin

[faz]

female bullfinch for me

[bunnygarden]

Thanks again Richard, I think you are probably right. Hadn`t noticed the grey neck but I was upstairs looking down on this little fella so that should explain why I couldn`t see the colouring.
Thanks again to you all!