WE’RE all used to seeing photos of robins, whose cheery red breast and cheeky, almost care free nature, has won a place in many of our hearts.

Another bird that also seems to have made this connection with people is the wren. This tiny hedgerow bird is a common sighting over the drab winter months as it scrapes out a living foraging for insects in hedgerows and scrub. It has even been famously described in literature as the king of birds.

Despite its diminutive size, the wren is not our smallest bird. This honour goes to the goldcrest which, like the wren is highly active, and spends the winter struggling against the harsh elements, but weighs in at only five grams, about half of what a blue tit weighs. Goldcrests also have beautiful bright plumage, but unlike the robin this plumage takes the form, like its name suggests, as a beautiful golden cap of feathers on its head.

The goldcrest is also responsible for some amazing feats of daring bravery that, in comparison to the size of the bird, would put many a human explorers to shame. Goldcrest’s are resident in Britain throughout the year but some migration does take place when birds from Scandinavia and northern Russia journey to our shores to shelter from harsh northern winters.

This journey is a real epic, considering the size of this minuscule bird, especially when you consider part of the journey will involve the crossing of the bleak North Sea. This epic tale of adventure first came to the attentions of people when goldcrests would appear, taking a welcome break on the masts of ships out on this sea.

When people saw these tiny birds so far from land they began to doubt that they could have possibly made these journeys unaided and a legend was born that the goldcrest would “pilot” larger birds like woodcock and owls across these vast distances, riding on their backs. No evidence exists to suggest there is any truth in this but the idea has a certain romantic appeal.

Goldcrests prefer to live in close proximity to conifer trees, but can be an occasional visitor to gardens. They rarely appear in great numbers with harsh winter weather regularly taking a toll on their populations. They are also not as noticeably as vocal as robins and other songbirds.

However they do sing, and quite frequently, but due to their diminutive size their song is very high pitched and it can easily escape the hearing range of many people. They are also very secretive and their small size makes it easy for them to hide from our view.

So perhaps it is this shyness that has stopped this most wonderful of our native birds winning a place in as many peoples hearts as the robin and wren but perhaps now you are aware of this most courageous of birds you could keep an eye out for it on the nature reserves, parks and in your garden, and just imagine the adventure stories it must have, if only it could tell them.