Birds Around Me 0004 - Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)

I have a love and hate relationship with one of the most abundant birds of Britain - Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes). I see them on every walk & everywhere, I hear them all the time, I know where they are but find it very difficult to photograph. Spent hours and hours trying to observe and click these pretty, small birds. Wren is not the smallest but the shortest bird in Britain.

The first time I managed to photograph Wren was in April 2016, when I bought my Nikkor 200-500. Will be sharing my pictures from the last many years. Please do let me know your favorite one.

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)

# Spring is the best time to see and photograph shy and elusive birds, especially when they are busy collecting food and doing feeding rounds for the new ones. This one was collecting food while the young one was calling from the bushes nearby. It was a good few minutes before it disappeared in the bushes. It's pretty amazing how skillful they are with stacking food.

Birds Fact: Wrens are famously good singers, and can hit two notes at the same time (source: countrylife.co.uk).

# Wren has been the bird of the year 2020 for me so far. On most of my birding walks, I have been able to spend some time with these small, fast, and energetic birds. I have had this Wren in photograph hopping from one bush to another for good 30-40 minutes before settling on this branch. Happy Days.

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)

Birds Fact: There are two subspecies of Wren, Fair Isle wren (Troglodytes troglodytes Fridariensis) and the St Kilda wren (Troglodytes troglodytes hirtensis), endemic breeding birds of their respective isles in Scotland. (source: The Wildlife Trusts)

# Due to personal and professional situations, I didn't go out for birding throughout 2019. It was one of the toughest years for me. 2020 is altogether a different level, but at least I got a bit of time to spend with birds. One of the outings took me to the woods of the legendary Robin Hood - Sherwood Forests. I wasn't disappointed, after 3 hours of walking I was sitting on a bench and I heard this Wren at a distance. The light was just enough to make these frames. I loved the green background and Wren preaching on the sole dead branch.

Birds Fact: Wrens stay hidden in the garden but often come out to take insects and good lying low on the ground.

#I was so much feeling in love with the Wren in a photograph that I dropped my binoculars in Stocker's lake. Though I managed to retrieve them they are not the same. Wren was around me for a long time, in bushes hopping from one twig to another. But in the end, came out for this photograph. Photographing birds is all about the time you spent with the birds, more time better photographs because you get to know the bird more.

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)

Birds Fact: In Eastern European countries, killing a Wren or destroying its nest is associated with bad luck. Different countries have different associated bad lucks - broken bones, lightning strikes, injury to cattle, snowed under, flooded fields and the best one is that wife will run away.

#If you want to understand why it is difficult to photograph Wren, this is an ideal setting. I remember a wet and cold December morning. I was hiding under a tree from the rain and could hear the call for a long time but couldn't figure out where it was coming from. I was looking all over the hedges and branches, but the little one was hiding between the winter colors.

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)

Birds Fact: The call of Wren is a relatively loud “teck teck teck” that ends in a quavering or warbling sound.

#28-Dec-2017 was when I clicked these photographs. December of 2017 was very special for me. I was part of one of the most successful business transformation projects I delivered. It was also one of the special Christmas breaks as well, met some of my college friends after 15 years. I took them for a Birding walk and took these photographs, but unfortunately couldn't convert them into Birders.

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)

Birds Fact: For such a small bird the wren has an astonishingly loud song. In fact, per unit weight, it sings at ten times the power of a crowing cockerel! (source: Scottish Wildlife Trust)

#Wren in our garden was a lovely surprise after I came back from India with millions of photographs to sort out. I couldn't resist and pulled my camera out, sat in the garden for the next hour for it to come out for just one click. It disappeared again and didn't see any Wren in our garden for more than 2 years. They were back this year and nested as well. We had a Wren, Dunnock, and Blackbird nest in our garden as well as a Starling fledgling as a regular visitor all spring.

Birds Fact: The surname Wren, Rinn (Irish), Uren (Welsh) was applied to people who were small, busy, quick, and energetic just like the little bird. Do you know anyone with that surname?

#Although it was April, 01 I wasn't fooled by the "King of Birds".

Birds Fact: In the past, it was a custom on St. Stephen’s Day (December 26) to stone a Wren to death to commemorate the execution of St. Stephen.

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)

#Earlier in 2017 most of the time, I went to RSPB Ryemeads for bird watching / photographing. The weather was the key factor, March 2017 walk along the canal in Hemel Hempstead was one of the most memorable ones - not in a good way. I walked almost 10 miles from 11 till 5 and only got this picture, that too the way back. And in the process dropped my first iPhone in the puddle.

Birds Fact: Wrens were first recorded in Anglo-Saxon times though there is fossil evidence from the last Ice age, 10-120,000 years ago. (source: Scottish Wildlife Trust)

# These are the first decent photographs of Wren that I shot in May 2016 in Hemel Hempstead, UK.

Birds Fact: Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes), the family is Troglodytidae derived from troglodyte, which means cave dweller.

#First time in 10 years Christmas of 2016 was when I didn't need to go to work or be on call. And the first thing I did on 27-Dec was to go to my local RSPB reserve in Rye Meads, this time for Bittern. It didn't show up, but I could hear Wren for almost an hour and then it showed up on one giving me time to just click once.

Birds Fact: There are at least 6 dozen different species of Wrens. Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) is the only wren to be found outside the Americas.

#This was my first picture birding walk of 2017, again for Bittern but Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) obliged at the same place 3 times in a row.

Birds Fact: Farthing is the smallest British coin and it is Wren that appeared on it.

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Stocker's Lake, Rickmansworth, UK
July-2020

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Stocker's Lake, Rickmansworth, UK
June-2020

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Stocker's Lake, Rickmansworth, UK
July-2020

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Stocker's Lake, Rickmansworth, UK
June-2020

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Stocker's Lake, Rickmansworth, UK
June-2020

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Stocker's Lake, Rickmansworth, UK
June-2020

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Stocker's Lake, Rickmansworth, UK
July-2020

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Sherwood Forest, Nottingham, UK

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Sherwood Forest, Nottingham, UK

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Sherwood Forest, Nottingham, UK

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Stocker's Lake, Rickmansworth, UK
April -2018

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Stocker's Lake, Rickmansworth, UK
July-2020

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
RSPB Rye-meads, UK
November-2016

# RSPB Rye-meads is the closest reserve from my home and is known for its Common Kingfishers. I always go there for the kings and most of the time I see them, as sometimes long enough to click. On this day, I waited in the hide for almost 3 hours with no signs of Kingfisher, but Wrens appeared out of nowhere and didn't disappoint. My best and favorite photographs of Wren were taken on that day.

Birds Fact: Wrens nest communally in winter, with as many as a dozen birds spending the night together in a single nestbox. Just guessing what would be the maximum number roosting together?

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
RSPM Rainham Marshes
May 2016

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
RSPM Rainham Marshes
May 2016

#RSPB Rye-Meads is the closest reserve from my home, I very often go there but for a change, I thought of driving a bit further to Rainham Marshes. The first bird I saw as soon as I landed there was Wren. For a change, I got sufficient time with Wren but there was a fair distance.

Birds Fact: A Greek legend that the Wren became the king of birds by hiding on the eagle’s back, and succeeded in flying higher in the sky than the eagle.