[quote:aa99b861b3="ajohn"]The second bird is a female black-faced bunting.
These show a good comparison between the two species: note how the little bunting is more rufous, especially on the ear coverts, and also has rufous on the front of the supercilium (before/above the eye). The underparts are whiter, with well-defined blackish streaking. Bill is slimmer and all grey.
In comparison female black-faced often seems fairly non-descript, with a (relatively) poorly marked head pattern and more diffuse streaking[/quote]
Hi John,
Thanks for your professional identification!
Thomas.