Pity poor Jenny (and Johnny) Wren as the first winter cold sets in

Although it is impossible for mere humans to distinguish the sexes of the wren – they are tiny brown birds with short cocked tails and loud but beautiful voices – it is generally the male that selects the territory where he will produce his next brood.

He may do this at almost any time between late winter and early spring before the mating season, so it seems our little chap is making his plans rather early. Perhaps he knows something we don't?

Winter is the wren's worst enemy. Obtaining food, mainly comprising insects but sometimes small seeds, is a serious problem but another is intense cold. And this weekend we have been promised some pretty nippy stuff from the direction of Siberia and the steppes. Being so tiny, the wren is extremely vulnerable to adverse weather but cold is the real killer. Not surprisingly, past hard winters have taken a serious toll on the wren population.

Somewhat amazingly, however, a series of mild winters can lead to a huge re-population perhaps because the female lays up to eight eggs in a comfortable and astonishingly well-crafted nest. It is that same nest that can often come to the rescue of wrens during hard winters. It seems they ignore territorial differences and squeeze into a disused nest, there to be warm and snug against the weather.

A wren's nest is a miracle of construction and is built by the male. Using leaves, dried grass, moss and other items of dry vegetation he will build his ball-shaped nest which can be found in all kinds of odd places.

It will later be warmly lined with feathers and the entrance will be at one side but it might be hidden among the ivy or in a thick hedge, but also in garden out-buildings or even inside a hollow tree trunk. Wrens have even been known to use the old nests of other birds.

However, the female wren is very particular about her new home. The male will build several nests for her to inspect – I was once told it could be as many as eight – and when she finally selects the home of her dreams, she will indicate her choice by lining it with feathers.

It is these nests that often become life-savers for wrens during tough winters. I don't know whether those who pack themselves inside to defeat the cold are members of one family or other wrens from nearby but this is just one form of mutual protection against the winter chills. For this reason, it's often a good idea to leave abandoned nests alone until winter is over, or alternatively provide boxes or other containers that wrens can use.

And contrary to ancient popular belief, the wren is not a female robin.

www.nicholasrhea.co.uk

CW 27/11/10