Wrens’ nest
Last year I found a Wren’s nest, high in a tree in a wasteland in Rome. It was in an old hole, …
Troglodyte
A troglodyte is a cave-dweller. The Wren’s scientific name is Troglodytes troglodytes. That made sense to the 12 year old me when …
The Orcadian name for the Wren is the Wirran or Wrannock
The Orcadian name for the Wren is the Wirran or Wrannock. What brilliant names. I’ve just had a small Wrannock in my …
Flying Wren
I’ve enjoyed the Wrens at Einar this year. They’ve been a joy. Their lives are led in a sheltered garden, full of …
Absolute scenes
Absolute scenes here today at Einar as the Wrens fledged. I’ve been watching the parents bringing invertebrates into one of my ‘useful …
Noise to weight ratio
Wrens have one of the highest noise to weight ratios amongst birds. I know some people like that.
Wrens
There is a family of Wrens flitting along the field boundary in front of us. They’re working the margins for insects and …
A wild Neolithic hat-trick
It’s time for me to catch the ferry away from Orkney for a short while. I have an evening to spare and …
Feeding the family
Being a baby bird means knowing when to keep your mouth open. Many have exaggerated gapes, decorated in bright colours to encourage …
Something’s moving
There’s something moving in the field next to Einar. I can see flower stalks trembling. It’s moving along behind the wall. All …
Jenny at home
There’s a commotion in the bushes. It’s Britain’s noisiest bird in noise per weight; the Wren. My 1935 Outline of Nature says: …
Scricciolo
The Italian name for the Wren is scricciolo. When you hear just how loud they screech, that makes perfect sense:
Wren
The light is clear and bright when I see a Wren appear. I love how its shadow looks. I always imagine Wrens …
2018 highlights of a wilder Orkney life
My trips to Orkney in 2018 were full of wildlife surprises. I spent some time in the summer with the Black Guillemots …
Westray Coast 50 – Day Four
My adventures on the fourth of five days walking the entire coast of Westray.
Wren on the coast
The wild North Sea coast of Westray in Orkney is not for the feint hearted on a blustery day. There are Fulmars …
The First Ladybird Book of British Birds – #2 The Wren
I’m currently reading the Ladybird Book of British Birds and their nests from the 1950s. Times have changed: It says: The Wren …
2017 highlights of a wilder Orkney life
2017 was a wonderful year for wildlife experiences in Orkney. In July the seabird city at Noup Head was a whirling, wheeling …
Out on the cliffs
Out on the cliffs, in the windiest and most exposed spot, where the Puffins are, is a Wren.
The Wren who hasn’t been told
It’s been an emotional journey over the last few days with the birds here at Einar. We always have Swallows and Blackbirds …
Little King
Wren. It’s such a simple, short and easy name. Wren. The Wren’s scientific name is Troglodytes troglodytes. That’s not as short or …
Wren – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
Wrens are such beautiful birds. They are so quick, so elusive and so secretive it’s a delight to see one appear from …
Wren – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
When I was twelve years old I drew this Wren: Now it’s forty years later and I’m fifty-two years old and I …
Wren on a chilly morning
There are millions of Wrens in the UK and yet they are so elusive. Today’s cold weather seems to have brought them …