What bird did I see?

doctor evil

As I was walking in the snow today I noticed a local black cat stalking a bird in a mediumish tree. I watched the bird and chased the cat off.

The bird was small and had pale underparts and kind of yellow upperparts. It had an eye stripe and I didn't notice any other striation. It beak was kind of long like a treecreeper (going by pics I've found) and the tail looked long.

The tree it was in was one that is all droopy, it was next to a large mature garden. I'm lucky that a lot of mature trees of different types are near my house. It was searching through the branches that were covered in snow.

Any ideas on what bird it is?

<Mod note- some content moved to Garden Bird Survey thread to keep this one as id. thread>

cuddlycavies

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/g/greywagtail/index.aspx

Grey wagtail?

Rainbowsend

Chiff chaff?
Or Grey wagtail (usually found near water)

doctor evil

Could be a chiffchaff but it looked paler. How big are these guys in relation to a robin? The one I saw looked closer to a wren in size than a robin. Do some stay for winter or are they strictly a summer visitor, I'm in the east near enough to the coast.

The mature tree beside the tree I saw it on is a very large type of pine if that is any help.

Rainbowsend

doctor evil wrote: »

Could be a chiffchaff but it looked paler. How big are these guys in relation to a robin? The one I saw looked closer to a wren in size than a robin. Do some stay for winter or are they strictly a summer visitor, I'm in the east near enough to the coast.

The mature tree beside the tree I saw it on is a very large type of pine if that is any help.

Smaller than a robin, just slightly bigger than a wren they are summer visitors but some of them stay especially if you are nearer the coast and temp would be higher (well not this year ) very pretty little bird that picture doesnt do it justice the breast is a lovely creamy yellow.

cuddlycavies

Goldcrest or firecrest.

Feargal as Luimneach

doctor evil wrote: »

Could be a chiffchaff but it looked paler. How big are these guys in relation to a robin? The one I saw looked closer to a wren in size than a robin. Do some stay for winter or are they strictly a summer visitor, I'm in the east near enough to the coast.

The mature tree beside the tree I saw it on is a very large type of pine if that is any help.

Juvenile chiffchaff can have more yellow on the underparts. Adults however can be quite dull, looking lacking any yellow tone below. Chiffchaff winter in Ireland (not in great numbers), usually in southern counties . Chiffchaff are 10-12cm in length, while robin are 12-14 cm. Chiffchaff will be more slender than plump looking robin

Bird unlikey to be goldcrest (goldcrest lacks eyestripe). Firecrest have a supercillium (stripe above eye), but firecrest are very uncommon in ireland. They would be extremely rare at this time of year. They occur mainly in autumn (passage migrants on coastal locations).