50 THE WARBLERS 



in the heights above us are travelling thousands, nay millions, of 

 living creatures towards one fixed goal small and weak like this 

 little goldcrest of ours, but all guided as surely as are the farthest 

 gleaming stars." 



What a reveille, what a responsibility for the tiny sentinel whose 

 duty it is, " Hurling defiance at Vast Death," to rouse this host of 

 atoms for a journey, the magnitude and perils of which would 

 strike terror into the stoutest-hearted aviator of modern times ! 



The goldcrest is resident and fairly common wherever fir 

 plantations abound, but our native bird is rather darker on the 

 upper surface than the continental race. During autumn and 

 winter goldcrests are very sociable, and hunt in little flocks of 

 their own kind or in company with titmice. They are not at all 

 shy, and show no embarrassment when watched ; in fact no birds 

 show less fear of man, but owing to their diminutive size, rapid 

 warbler-like movements and olive-green colouring, they frequently 

 escape detection. 



Most birds, if you suddenly stop short in your walk to watch 

 them, will immediately fly away ; not so the goldcrest. He slips 

 in and out of the interlacing growth of some hedgerow a very 

 favourite hunting-ground searching the underside of a leaf or 

 twig within two or three feet of a passer-by. He has a special 

 liking for rose-trees and diligently hunts round one after another 

 in pursuit of green-fly, sometimes singing merrily if it is springtide, 

 and his brave little heart responds to the season's call. He will 

 allow the observer to approach closely and inspect his green 

 robe and golden crown ; for, in spite of his mere seventy - six 

 grains, the " Golden -crowned Knight" bears on his brow that 

 stamp of royalty which may well be envied by the mighty eagle ! 



One January morning, whilst cantering across a bit of moorland, 

 I found myself in the midst of a swarm of these birds ; some were 

 merrily disporting themselves in a belt of firs, but by far the greater 

 number were on the ground, creeping in and out of the dead bracken 



