My Favourite Bird

I’m a bird watcher and all bird watchers have a favourite bird or two; I’m no different, only my favourite is perhaps not the usual. He lacks any bright colours that scream ‘look at me’, although, like most birds, he is intricately patterned when you get to within centimetres him. Not the best attribute when you consider getting close to any bird is difficult. He’s unique though; he will regularly approach you which is even more unbelievable given his size.

         He is tiny!

         Tiny is an understatement; he’s minuscule. Incidentally, he’s one of the smallest bird in Britain, though he’ll appear a giant beside a bee hummingbird which is infinitesimal.

         He’s my favourite not because he’s wearing a Technicolor dream coat, he’s not; and not because he’s either big or rare, he’s not any of those; but because he has charisma only the most skilled orator could wish for. I have seen him on occasions take a central road divider as his stage from which to belt out his song; and belt it out he does. He’s so confident and cocky (seeming to all too happy to affirm this opinion when you finally see him) that not even two lines of fast moving metal on either side of him will perturb him. He just oozes self-confidence.

         He may well belt it out, but his song is actually elaborately composed and beautiful in a way; not in the way a blackbird’s song is, but in its own way.

         Similarly, when nesting time comes he is just as zealous: he makes more than one nest only one of which may lure in a female. Nonetheless, he is arrogant enough to keep trying to entice females and accept those that do succumb to his allure.

         He is of course the wren (Troglodytes troglodytes). I think his scientific name is unwarranted. But who am I to say.