It’s cold, it’s wet and summer is a distant memory. And with the autumn season comes a challenging time for all sorts of living things that visit our gardens, including one of the most well known and popular birds in the UK.
Wrens may not get the Christmas card appeal of the red-breasted robin, but they are one of the most well known, well liked and commonly spotted birds in British gardens and like the robin they stay here over the winter. With the cold and damp weather the UK has begun to see this October, wrens will be finding it more difficult to find food as insect numbers start to drop off and wild berries begin to disappear too.
According to experts at Ark Wildlife, there are a few steps you need to take now to make sure wrens thrive in your garden this autumn and winter.
It says: “The wren is easily recognised by its small, round, plump shape and its distinctive small chestnut-coloured tail which is almost continuously cocked up. Its brown colouration is paler on the under parts. It has dense dark bars on its wings, flanks and tail. The young are like the adults but have fewer bars.
“Wrens can be a joy to watch in your garden and they’re often quite easy to attract. Firstly, try scattering some mealworms, mealworm bird food mix or oatmeal on the floor in a safe area, such as near trees or bushes.
“Wrens will also take a trip to your garden if they think it may be a suitable nesting site. Try siting a wren nest box in an area that is protected by bushes and trees. The next box can be positioned up to a height of three metres off the ground, ensuring it’s still accessible for these little birds.”
It adds that leaving food out should be focused on the ground rather than on bird tables, because wrens tend to feed on the ground.
It says: “In the wild, wrens will eat insects such as beetles, spiders, and they’ll even eat tadpoles. If you want to supplement their diet, wrens will eat live foods such as live mealworms and high-quality seed mixes. Make sure you scatter the food low as wrens may not come to bird tables. You can watch the wrens darting about quickly on the ground, feeding from ground feeders. You can also provide a ground bird feeder cage to keep them safe from larger predators.”