Common resident and winter visitor.

Goldcrests are found in Stevenage’s woods, and during their autumn and winter movements can also be found in hedges, parkland, and gardens (six were seen in a Ferrier Road Garden on 1 January 1980 and three were seen bathing together in a Stevenage Garden pond in 2007). In Hertfordshire, the small flocks that appear in autumn away from the woodlands are due to movements of relatively local, mainly juvenile birds, as opposed to migrants from the continent.

A first winter male ringed near the Hoo, Kimpton on 11 October 2007 was found dead near Box Wood on 23 October 2007. In 1979 eight were ringed in Box Wood.

On 25 August 1982 a party of 25 were seen at Pin Green. 

Being insectivorous, they are susceptible to cold weather and their population fluctuates with severe winters. The “great frost” of the 1916/17 winter for example reduced their numbers in Hertfordshire, and there was a sudden decline in their numbers due to severe weather in the winter of 1986.

The 2012 Winter Atlas confirmed their presence from 10 of the tetrads covering Stevenage.

The 1973 Breeding Atlas confirmed breeding from three of Stevenage’s tetrads, 1992 Atlas from eight and, the 2012 Atlas from one. 

Breeding was confirmed at the former Warren Spring Laboratory on 22 April 2013 and fledged young recorded at Watery Grove 2015 and Chells Manor in 2017. Breeding was also confirmed from Fairlands Valley Park in 2018, 2023 and 2024.

The Common Bird Census at Watery Grove recorded their presence during the 1976, 1989, 1994 and 1996 Breeding Seasons.

Rare passage migrant, and winter visitor.

Birds have been seen at Stevenage during the spring, autumn and, winter.

The spring records are: single birds at Watery Grove on 8 April 1975 and, 5 April 1981; a male singing and holding territory at Mossbury Wood, Chells from 26 to 31 March 1989; a probable sighting of one in the Meadway – Gunnels Wood Road area on 18 March 1997; a male, visiting a bird bath, in a garden for 10 days in March 2008; a male at Wiltshire Spring from 24 to 27 March 2019; a male at Shackleton Spring on 27 April 2019; one at Box Wood on 6 March 2020; one at Watery Grove on 18 and 19 March 2023; one at Hanging Hill Wood, Chells on 29 April 2023.

Four autumn records: one at Ashburnham Walk on 31 October 2009, a probable bird at Tilekiln Wood, Great Ashby on 29 November 2015, one at Chells Manor on 3 October 2018 and one at Sishes Wood on 18 September 2024.

The winter records are; a single bird at Astonbury Wood on 9 February 1986, and a male at Pryors Wood from 28 January to 15 February 2010.