An unusual visitor waits on one leg

We had plans to go to see Helena's cousin Fiona's paintings in a big exhibition on Bristol and to also have coffee with Pip while we were in our nearest city. The venue was the Royal West of England Academy which we had both enjoyed visiting and blipping last year as photos can be taken inside the gallery spaces.  But during the night Helena was sick several times and by morning felt very poorly.  

As I didn't want to go far from the house, other than buying a few oddments Helena wanted I took the opportunity to get some close ups of the garden birds.  There were some of my favourites at feeders just outside the door onto the patio steps, so I opened the doors wide enough to poke my new zoom lens out and waited.

Most of the birds like to fly on to the  tree beside the nearby hedge which has quite long and low branches.  These provide good places to launch their final approach to the feeder I have deliberately hung close to the door.  The more wary birds want to come closer still before their landing on the feeder and like the bare branches of the clematis and honeysuckle which I've trained up some railings just beyond the feeder.

Today it was several long-tailed tits, a pair of blackcaps and some bluetits which were dancing around all these perches, whilst getting out of the way of two nuthatches who approach the feeder directly as if they own it.  But my blip is of one rather shy bird which alighted quietly on the clematis and stood rather shyly looking around to check how safe it was.  I don't recognise its colouring or features but like the ring around its neck and the lovely brown tones of the feathers.  I took a few pictures during the several minutes it was there then it flew off without actually coming on to the feeder.  Does anyone know what bird it is?  It may just be a common bird in rather odd winter plumage.  It was only when processing the images that I spotted it was standing on one leg in most of the pictures.

Later on when the clouds lifted a bit I went into the cabin and took a lot more pictures of birds at the other feeders.  It was lovely sitting with the door open in the cabin without feeling cold, just watching their activities and seeing a range of other birds, including a buzzard flying low over the gardens, which made many of the birds very excitable.  Even Bomble came running in to the cabin just before the buzzard approached over us, and I wondered whether even he was a bit wary of a hunting bird flying so closely overhead.  There are at least two breeding buzzards in our valley as I see and hear them regularly, but not usually so close.