Please Help! A Bird I've Never Seen Before!

[numan]

I've just seen a bird that I've never seen before, in the tree outside my window. I'm no ornithologist and I'm not very au fait with bird species, only the ones that most people know about, but this was SO unusual. I've been all over the web trying to find a picture of it - even the RSPB, but to no avail! It was tiny like a tit of some kind, had a black head, a vivid red bib and a vivid yellow belly. I tried desperately to get a pic of it, very slowly reaching for my phone, but it flew off before I could take it..
Is there anyone out there that knows what it was? It's driving me nuts!
Thanks in advance

[nungate]

with a black head and a red bib it sounds a bit like a bullfinch - you could try looking it up online and see if there's a picture which you could compare

[wendilla]

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/yellow-bellied_sapsucker/id

try here

[Prudie]

Are you quite sure it wasn't a goldfinch, they have bright red round the head and lots of yellow but on the wings
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/g/goldfinch/index.aspx

[nungate]

love goldfinches! only thought of the bullfinch because Numan mentioned that black head....

[hc4361]

Firecrest?

[numan]

Nope - as I said, I've been on almost every website including the RSPB directory of birds, but nothing comes close. Not even any of your kind suggestions matched it. The red was very vivid as was the yellow. The only birds with these colours that I saw online were nowhere near as vivid. It was almost like they'd been painted on! Pillarbox red and deep yolk yellow..

[Prudie]

Well that certainly doesn't sound like any European bird, i wonder of it was an escaped cage -bird, Canary variety for example.

[numan]

I'm now looking at the North American migratory birds, as they seem to have the vivid colours I saw. Wish me luck, it's now become a mission! I've never seen so many pix of birds in my life before! lol

[jomifl]

What kind of tele lens does your phone have?

[numan]

Doesn't make a lot of difference, as it flew away before I got to take the pic!

[Milvus]

Have you checked a Redstart?

[vulcan42]

was it something like this?
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b7Pi9D7DnTw/TphTjRDF-YI/AAAAAAAACQs/AIdAhICzKlo/s1600/lovebirds_beautifulbirds_picturespool_11.jpg

[weecalf]

Two birds bouncing out side our house on electric wire had to chase them .They were trying to break the thing

[Eve]

Could be an escapee. In the local park near me there have been sightings of parakeets and even the odd parrot who have escaped and possibly bred, the parakeets anyway.

[Chipchopper]

It sounds remarkably like a 'Black Caped Chickadee that I've seen in North America.

[Canary42]

/// Canary variety for example ///

Not guilty ! ! !

[EDDIE51]

Possibly a type of Bee eater?
They are rare in th UK but starting to become more common , there are several species
http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob8400.htm