The wren is the sweetest little bird, like a little tiny brown mouse scurrying up and down walls in search of insects. Its little dumpy shape is almost rounded and with its very fine bill, long toes and impossibly long legs makes it unmistakable as it scurries about on the ground. It has very short round wings and a short narrow tail which is quite often cocked up vertically making it look like it’s waving a greeting at all who see. At only 9 to 10 cm in size it is quite easy to see why it could so easily be missed taken for a tiny rodent.

(this tiny creature was sat on a wall near Foolow)

For such a tiny little feathered friend, it’s certainly packs a punch with its voice. It has a remarkably loud song which is unmistakable once heard, described as a very loud trilling song, which can even be heard occasionally at night. It is the commonest UK breeding bird which makes it sound like the wren is not endangered , and indeed they are currently one of our most abundant birds with about 10 million pairs in Britain and Ireland, but unfortunately its species does suffer a decline during prolonged, severely cold winters – due to the lack of insects in the frozen ground.

( this chap was on a dry stone wall near eyam singing away in the freezing but stunning winters morning sunshine)

The wren is found across most of the UK and we are very lucky to have lots up here in the Peak District. They can be found in a wide range of habitats such as woodlands, farmland, reeds and moors but also on the islands surrounding the UK. It is the least abundant in Scotland and Northern England, with the smallest numbers found in upland areas, possibly due to the colder climate. It is a bird feeders favourite, but it doesn’t like to feeds on nuts. Preferring insects and spiders, it’s possible to buy food suitable for wrens, very similar to that of a robin, consisting of dried insects and mealworms.

For such a tiny bird it has a very long Latin name, and belongs to the Troglodytidae species, from the Greek trogle, a hole, and dyein, to get into.  Wrens are daily visitors to our gardens and are often the latest birds to go to bed, scurrying about sometime after sunset, scurrying in an out of nooks and crevices. Troglodyte is also a word we use for ‘caveman’ which is quite fitting. Although wrens don’t actually live in caves, no matter how small!

(taken near Foolow )

If you have an ivy-covered wall then a wren will no doubt be visiting you shortly. They are almost as familiar as robins and they usually stay in one place for a while, giving you ample chance to observe. Where there is anywhere with low cover such as woods, hedges, scrum and sea cliffs, there is sure to be a wren. They have also been known to go hunting in mountains and reed beds, their tiny size and russet- brown colouring, with their plump stumpy shape and tail usually cocked, makes it very easy to identify a wren.

When they do take off, their flight is rapid, except during the brief glide before they land. They almost look like they have a parachute on their back as their rounded wings and spread tail create the look to perfection. Not only is it one of the most widespread species in the country it is also one of the most adaptable.

During the day wrens aren’t very sociable with each other but regularly pack into roosts soon after sunset during winter. They stay there keeping warm until the last week in April. Their most favoured sites include nest boxes and old house martin’s nests under the eaves but are more commonly found in holes in walls or under roofs.

During one severe winter, it has been found on record that one particular nest box roosted 60 wrens. The occupants took between a quarter and half an hour to enter at night and 20 minutes to disperse in the morning. Once inside, the roosting wren’s squat up to three layers deep with heads facing inwards and tail towards the entrance or sides. Some roost sites are traditional and can attract birds from a mile away. It is also on record the nests specially built in midwinter have been used for communal roosting, providing a really warm refuge for lots of birds from frost and snow. With so many wrens all squashed together in one place, squabbling is a frequent event. Wrens have been known to have fisticuffs and tumble in a bunch out of a roost, all trying desperately to evict one another!

The wren has lots of names. In some parts of the country it may be called Bobby, Kitty or Sally. In Ireland and Scotland it is a ‘wran’ and in Cornwall a ‘wranny.’ The nicknames come from a short tail, cutti, scutti, skiddy or stumpy, or from its small size: tiddie, titmeg or tintie. Personally, we like’ little Jenny Wren’ but call it what you will, the wren is much loved and very much at home in the Peak District, which we are very thankful for.