Wildlife Garden - Wrens, Insects

 

Wildlife Garden - Wrens, Insects

Acrobatic little brown bird 


The field is wide... what is it? Even more vertical acrobatics 

– impressive. It flits at lightning speed... tiny thin beak, pale eye stripe, dumpy little body and a pert sticking-out tail... it can only be a wren! The myth of ‘just another little brown bird’ evaporates when one looks at feather detail caught by the discerning lines of a coloured pencil portrait 

But what’s this tiny bird doing, using up energy in cold weather leaping and fluttering upwards? Every day it follows the same routine of visiting specific places, like last week’s Long-tailed Tits.

Wildlife Gardening Tips: 4 - Wren pecking amongst wet pebbles 





mosses and Mind-your-own-business. Then to some ancient, contorted driftwood roots picked up on a beach long ago...

 Now it’s into thick sheltering 


evergreens - ivy and thick Juniper where it spends time, deep under and over the top. Its thin pointed beak comes into focus with the clue – look at it compared to the sparrow’s beak

. This thick crushing beak deals with hard seeds. By contrast the wren’s is fine-pointed and precise, ideal for picking out the tiniest insects hidden in thick foliage.

What on earth is it finding during these cold December days? If there is a glimmer of sun one can see many insects. Look towards the light above a cluster of leaves, alive or dead, and there may be 10 or 20 miniature white dots moving up and down – just like butterflies trying to get one up on each other for territory. Barely visible, they may be midges, maybe gnats or some other insect (accurate ID of these is for serious specialists!).


- This is the sort of delicate insect which floats and dances in the air, looking like dust, bits of leaf or whisps of seed or feather.

The tiny creatures of damp corners and shadowy places are the chosen feast of the shy wren -


, seen here (through the window) pecking from underneath for insects, spiders, and other invertebrates These little dots disappear into the shelter of bunched up dead Crocosmia leaves or the Juniper and reappear in the next glimpse of sun.

- This insect feast is already spoken for, trapped in a spider’s web!

Wrens skulk about furtively under bird feeders - for sunflower hearts, fat and nuts. Seeds, crumbs and berries are also on their winter menu. They forage close to the ground, particularly under nearby twigs 


where other birds choose to carry their food and eat in safety out of sight of Sparrowhawks. Other ‘little brown birds’, Dunnocks are also there, ‘tidying up’... and at the other end of the scale, the biggest 


 A garden can offer wildlife hidden places between stems and thick foliage and crevices between stones. Such small places are full of unsuspected miniature invertebrates and the prime source of good, healthy bird food. A ‘dead hedge’ is another ideal habitat for tiny insects for birds in winter.

Research is showing that bird feeders and tables left uncleaned and undisinfected can actually be contributing to the drop in numbers of some bird species. The problem is that if a bird feeder is not cleaned once a week there can be significant accumulation of bird droppings and food detritus harbouring parasites and disease.

Aim for clean feeders and lots of mini habitats for mini beasts!

Picture credits: 3 Wren by Jan Robertson (Bath Society of Botanical Artists), others Nicolette Scourse.

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