Wildlife: Being so small the wren must feed on small insects constantly

This label is entirely appropriate, as this tiny birds flits and creeps around the garden habitat looking for nooks and crannies to explore.

Being so small the wren must feed almost constantly and is ever restlessly exploring the terrain in search of tiny insects and other invertebrates.

Wrens also both nest and roost in holes and crevices and will use nest boxes provided with a hole as well, and even open-fronted boxes.

In cold winters, when these tiny birds risk losing too much heat at night, they will huddle together as a group all squashed into a single nest box.

There have been records of up to sixty individuals in a single box. This way the overall mass of birds in the box is greater, they lose less heat, and they share and conserve energy.

As well as my garden wren, I was watching a bird exploring the stone bank of the Cromford Canal as it flitted and crept along the canal side vegetation.

Hoping to be able to photograph it, I waited in vain, but it never reappeared.

I am guessing that it either found a safe spot with a rich source of insect food, or potentially a safe, warm place to roost and maybe a future nest site too.

A difficultly in photographing wrens is that they rarely stay still. Either that, or they simply disappear!

When the breeding season begins, the male wren builds a number of ball-shaped nests in holes in boxes, and in walls, banks, trees, or old nests from leaves, grass, and vegetation such as moss.

He then shows off his selection of sites and the female chooses her favoured residence.

She then sets about lining the chosen nest with feathers. However, the male is often polygamous and in a good territory, may try to install a female in each of his nests.

Professor Ian D. Rotherham, researcher, writer & broadcaster on wildlife & environmental issues, is contactable on [email protected]; follow Ian’s blog (https://ianswalkonthewildside.wordpress.com/ ) and Twitter @IanThewildside