Though often overlooked on sightings sheets and on walks round the reserve Wrens really are quite interesting. With a tiny round body (often quite rudely called dumpy!) and a brown and grey barred body, they have an almost mouse like quality about them. The Wrens scientific name troglodytes troglodytes roughly translates to cave- dweller in Greek, a name it got from chasing insects and roosting in holes in trees and logs.
Another interesting thing about the Wren is their song, especially its loudness, which for its size is about ten times louder than a cockerel. They have a lovely song and sometimes the male can sing so forcefully his whole body quivers with the effort.
In one of Aesop’s fables there was a competition amongst the birds as to who could fly the highest, the winner would be declared the king of the birds. The Eagle looked to be winning but then the Wren held on to the Eagles back, so when the Eagle started to tire the Wren was able to fly to victory. The Wren proving that sometimes being clever can beat strength. The association of the Wren being the king of the birds has stuck with many different languages, the name of the wren refers to it being king. In Japan it is called the king of the wind.
Sightings from this week 23/12 – 29/12
Bearded reedling, Blackbird, Black-headed gull, Black redstart, Blue tit, Buzzard, Cetti's warbler, Cormorant, Curlew, Dunlin, Fieldfare, Gadwall, Goldcrest, Goldeneye Goldfinch, Great spotted woodpecker, Green woodpecker, Greenshank, Grey plover, Grey wagtail, Hen harrier, Lapwing, Long-tailed tit, Magpie, Mallard, Moorhen, Mute swan, Oystercatcher, Pheasant, Pied wagtail, Redshank, Redwing, Reed bunting, Robin, Shelduck, Shoveler, Snipe, Song thrush, Starling, Stonechat, Teal, Water rail, Wigeon, Wren.
I've just had one of these beautiful little birds pose on our garden fence. Lovely, and highly underrated.
Our herring gulls are red listed birds. Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.