Irish Garden Birds - The Wren, the Wren, the king of all birds!

This blog was originally posted in December 2017.

It's the 4th week of the Irish Garden Bird Survey, and (arguably...) more importantly it's Christmas Day! We'd like to wish all of our members, followers and garden bird surveyors a very happy Christmas. With a few days off work, it's a great time to go for a walk or visit your local wetland to see what birds are around. 

Be sure to talk to your family and friends about the birds visiting your garden this week too - a lot of people notice the birds visiting their garden, but don't know their names or much about them, but that's where you can help! You might even start them on the track to taking part in next year's garden bird survey! 

Last week we had the Robin, and given the St. Stephen's Day tradition we had to give this week to the Wren! 
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Species Profile: Wren

As Gaeilge: 'Dreolín' 

Irish Garden Bird Survey Ranking 2016/17: 9th place

Conservation status: Green-listed in Ireland, with around 6.2 million individuals here in the breeding season. 

Wren. Photo by J. Fox

'Wren Day' - Did You know?

• 'Wren Day' is celebrated on St. Stephen's Day in Ireland. The origin of the day isn't fully clear, but there is a lot of mythology associated with the Wren and Wren Day.

• In Celtic Mythology, the Wren was a symbol of the past year, so the day may be linked to the passing of the previous year and the beginning of the new one. The Robin is usually associated with the new year, and both Robins and Wrens are quite vocal in winter months.
• There is also a story of the Wren betraying Irish soldiers against Norse Invaders around the 8th/9th/10th century - as the Irish snuck up on their sleeping enemies, a Wren beat its wings (or pecked at breadcrumbs) on a drum and woke the Viking invaders, leading to the defeat of the Irishmen. There is also a story of a chattering Wren betraying the christian martyr St. Stephen to his enemies.
• There is the story too of the Wren being king of the birds! According to legend, the birds held a parliament and agreed that whichever one flew highest would rule over all of the other birds. The Eagle soared higher than all the rest, until it began to get tired, when suddenly a tiny Wren emerged from its feathers and fluttered up to victory! 
• On St. Stephen's Day, a Wren was captured and tied to the Wrenboy leader's staff or put in a cage. The Wrenboys would wear masks and be dressed in colourful clothing and straw suits - they were also known as 'mummers' or 'strawboys. They would bring the Wren from house to house, playing musical instruments and singing a song in return for money.
• The tradition is a lot less widespread than it use to be, though is still carried out in many parts of the country. The town of Dingle in county Kerry still holds a famous festival and parade every St. Stephen's Day.
• The English language version of the song goes as follows:

The Wren, the Wren, the king of all birds,

St. Stephen’s Day was caught in the furze,

Although he was little his honour was great,

Jump up me lads and give us a treat.

As I was going to Killenaule,

I met a wren upon the wall.

Up with me wattle and knocked him down,

And brought him in to Carrick Town.

Drooolin, Droolin, where’s your nest?

Tis in the bush that I love best

In the tree, the holly tree,

Where all the boys do follow me.

Up with the kettle and down with the pan,

And give us a penny to bury the wren.

I followed the wren three miles or more,

Three miles or more three miles or more.

I followed the wren three miles or more,

At six o’clock in the morning.

I have a little box under me arm,

Under me arm under me arm.

I have a little box under me arm,

A penny or tuppence would do it no harm.

Mrs. Clancy’s a very good woman,

a very good woman, a very good woman,

Mrs. Clancy’s a very good woman,

She give us a penny to bury the wren.

Singing Wren. Photo by M. Finn.

Some more Wren facts:

• Wrens are the second-smallest bird in Ireland, mere millimeters larger than the Goldcrest!
• In winter, they sometimes roost communally to preserve heat and fat loss - more than 50 Wrens have been found spending the night together in a nestbox!
• Their family name is "Troglyodytidae' which means 'cave dweller' - they're usually seen lurking in the darker, sheltered parts of hedgerows etc. and roost at night in dark holes and cavities. They nest in 'cave-like' places too - holes in trees, cracks in walls etc.
• The male Wren builds several nests (often 6 or 7), called "cock nests", and the female chooses one to use. This is all the more impressive when you consider that they're highly polygamous - one male can have several females with an active nest in his territory.

Two Wrens roosting together at night. Photo by T. Darby

How long do they live?

As followers of the blog will now know, a lot of our garden birds don't actually live that long! The typical lifespan for a Wren is 2 years, and the oldest one on record in Ireland and Britain was 7 years and 3 months old.

What do they feed on? 

The natural food for Wrens is tiny insects - that's why they have that small, pointed bill. Though not a common sight on feeders, they will feed on mealworms or tiny pieces of peanuts or sunflower hearts - usually those left over or spilled onto the ground by other birds.

Wren with insect prey. Photo by C. Clarke

Irish Garden Bird Survey Trends:

Last year Wrens ranked 9th in the list of Irish garden birds - in 82.3% of gardens. They're a species that usually makes it into the top 10 every year, and are possibly in more gardens than we realise but just go unrecorded because of their secretive nature! In some of the recent cold winters they dropped down to 15th place in the rankings, with high mortality of this tiny bird! 

They're common in gardens throughout the full 13 weeks of the garden bird survey (i.e. Dec-Feb), with a slight increase in records in the first few and last couple of weeks.

This graph shows the average number of Wrens per garden during each year of the Irish garden bird survey since 1994/95 – there are some ups and downs over the years, which can often be explained by cold winters impacting numbers. 

Movements and Migration:

Ringing Recoveries of Wren, via the BTO.

The map on the right shows where Wrens in Ireland and the UK have been found in Europe - you'll notice there are very few dots! that's because Wrens are largely sedentary - they're a tiny bird, with very small wings and they weigh around 10g - so they really aren't built for any sort of long-distance flight! 

Those in northern European countries like Finland do have to migrate as they couldn't survive the cold winters, so they fly by night in autumn to central Europe and return in early summer.

How can I help Wrens?

It's a really good time of year to put out nestboxes, well in advance of the breeding season, so birds have plenty of time to find them and check them out. Some birds, like Wrens, will also use nestboxes to roost in at night during the winter months.

Wrens will use a variety of nestboxes, but the one most likely to attract them is the one in the picture here - diamond shaped with a small opening at the top. It may also be used by Robins. It should be put somewhere sheltered by vegetation (e.g. ivy or brambles etc.) - remember these birds are the 'cave-dwellers'!

You can find these nestboxes on our shop website at this link.

Alternatively, you can find designs to build your own nestbox on the BirdWatch Ireland website here.

Wren. Photo by S. Connolly

When it comes to feeding Wrens, keep in mind two things: Wrens have small, fine bills and they hang around the more sheltered parts of the garden.

Putting some finely grated cheese near the bottom of a hedge can be a good way to attract them, or leaving out mealworms in a similar area. I you can chop up peanuts or sunflower hearts into very small pieces, this will be appreciated by the Wrens too! 

Wren. Photo by C. Timmons

I hope you've learned something new about Wrens through this species profile - if there's a species you'd like us to cover later in the winter please let us know on facebook or twitter!

And if you're not taking part already, consider taking part in our Garden Bird Survey this winter - and spread the word to friends and family - the more the merrier! If you start this week, you can still send us 10 weeks worth of counts which will be hugely useful in letting us know how Irish garden birds are faring this winter! 

Irish Garden Birds - Rockin' Robins

This blog was originally published in December 2017.

Ok, as of today we're in Week 3 of the Irish Garden Bird Survey - hopefully you've got a couple of weeks of the survey under your belt at this stage, but if not there's still time to take part! 

Given the week that's in it, there was only bird that could be species of the week.... 
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Species Profile: Robin

As Gaeilge: 'Spideog' 

Irish Garden Bird Survey Ranking 2016/17: 1st place

Conservation status: Green-listed in Ireland, with around 3 million pairs breeding here each summer.

Robin. Photo by B. Burke

Did You know?

• Though we are used to Robins that are quite confident and confiding around humans in the garden, that's only the case in Ireland and the UK. Elsewhere in Europe, Robins are often quite shy and are a true woodland bird.

• Robins are the only bird you're likely to hear singing all year round, and both males and females will sing outside the breeding season. 

• When it comes to singing, Robins are usually one of the first species to start singing in the morning and one of the last ones to stop. Where there is artificial light from buildings and street lamps, they can be heard singing during the night.

• Robins have more than one brood per year, and in some cases the male can be feeding the first brood while the female is incubating the second clutch!

• Their latin name is Erithacus rubecula - meaning 'solitary little red one' - very apt! 

• Their territoriality really does come down to them 'seeing red' - the red colour of other Robins is largely what triggers their aggression, and they've been known to attack objects like socks and handkerchiefs with a similar red colour during the breeding season. When Robin chicks fledge, they have a speckled brown appearance, but no red yet, which stops them getting into a fight when they wander into an adult's territory! 

Adult and fledgling Robin. Photo by C. Timmons

Robin. Photo by B. Burke

How long do they live?

The oldest known Robin in Ireland and Britain was 8 years, 4 months and 30 days old, but their typical lifespan is only 2 years - much shorter than people think. Incredibly, the oldest Robin in Europe was over 19 years old, ringed in the Czech Republic and killed in Poland.

What do they feed on? 

As a traditional woodland bird their preference is for insects to feed on, but they will readily come to bird feeders with seeds, peanuts, fruit and fat balls. Mealworms are a good food to give them, and some people have managed to 'train' their garden Robin to take mealworms from their hand!

Irish Garden Bird Survey Trends:

Robins have been in 1st place in 19 of the 23 winters since the Garden Bird Survey has taken place in its current format, twice in joint-first with Blackbird. In three winters, most recently in 2009/10, they were in second place behind Blackbird. In 1997/98 Robin was in third place behind both Blackbird and Blue Tit - their lowest position to date, but still firmly in the top 3 and still in over 99% of gardens - a pretty dominant record over the years! 

Robin. Photo by D. Owens

They're common in gardens throughout the full 13 weeks of the garden bird survey (i.e. Dec-Feb), with a slight increase as the weeks go on. It's likely that by the latter weeks of the Garden Bird Survey many Robins have paired up and are thinking of breeding, so that's another reason why you're probably only seeing one Robin in your garden at the start of the survey but are regularly seeing two by February.

This graph shows the average number of Robins per garden during each year of the Irish garden bird survey – a pretty stable trend down through the years, with occasional spikes in numbers after a good season (they can be pretty prolific breeders when the weather allows!)

Movements and Migration:

In Ireland, Robins are largely resident. In general the males will stay put all year round to hold their territory, and many females will leave the breeding areas in the autumn and return in spring. The females don't usually travel very far, but will seek out an area with higher survival chances (i.e. good food supply, warmer temperatures etc) but that maybe wasn't suitable during the summer as they lacked sites for nesting. A very small minority of Robins, largely female, may also move abroad for the winter.
We also get Robins from northern Europe; some moving through in autumn on their way further south in Europe, and others staying put for the winter. 

Robins from Britain & Ireland caught elsewhere.

https://app.bto.org/ring/countyrec/resultsall/rec10990all.htm for full details

How can I help Robins?

It's worth remembering that this is actually a good time of year to put out nestboxes in advance of next year! Robins use a specific type of nextbox with an open-front, ideally 1-2m off the ground and placed in a dense shrub or somewhere else that provides shelter from weather and predators - amongst thick ivy or creeping plants should also work. Wrens and Pied Wagtails might also decide to use this type of nestbox, or Blackbirds if the nestbox is big enough.

You can find designs to build your own nestbox on the BirdWatch Ireland website here, or alternatively we sell a number of different types of nestboxes in our shop that are sure to suit your garden – see our selection here.

Robin. Photo by K. Murphy

Given their dominance at the top of the Irish Garden Bird Survey charts every year, it's no surprise that Robins are more than happy to avail of a variety of foods supplied in gardens - mealworms, peanuts, seeds, fruit and fatballs. 

See our selection of bird foods and variety of feeder types at this link, or visit our shop in our Wicklow HQ.

This year we also have the very popular singing Robin soft toy! They're soft and cuddly and play a Robin call when you squeeze them! Get them at our shop at the link below, while stocks last.

Singing Robin Soft Toy link

We have a variety of pin badges in our shop, including two christmas Robins - the suggested donation for a pin badge is €2 each, plus €1 p&p - or 3 for €5. We have pin badges of many different species (swans, owls, garden birds, ducks, seabirds etc!). 

Call into our shop in Wicklow or get in touch at info@birdwatchireland.ie to see if we have your favourite species in stock!

Lastly, to help Robins and your other garden birds you can become a member of BirdWatch Ireland. Membership makes an ideal Christmas gift – one that keeps on giving throughout the year.

With your membership pack you'll get a free gift, a poster of Irish Garden Birds, a poster of Irish Sea Birds, a pin badge, loads of information on how to attract birds to your garden, and our famous Wings magazine will be delivered to your door four times per year. 

Under 18's and family memberships will also receive our 'Bird Detectives' activity magazine twice a year, filled with fun and educational activities!

I hope you've learned something new about Robins through this species profile - if there's a species you'd like us to cover later in the winter please let us know on facebook or twitter!

And if you're not taking part already, consider taking part in our Garden Bird Survey this winter - and spread the word to friends and family - the more the merrier! 

Irish Garden Birds - Brilliant Blue Tits

This blog was originally published in December 2017.


With the recent spell of cold weather it's extra important to keep your feeders topped up, and putting out a fresh dish of water each morning to give the birds somewhere to drink and wash (other water sources are likely frozen over!). A bird like a Blue Tit weighs only 11g, so providing them with an easily accessible and plentiful food source can ensure they survive the winter! 

Now, on to the species of the week....

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Species Profile: Blue Tit

As Gaeilge: ‘Meantán Gorm’

Irish Garden Bird Survey Ranking 2016/17: 3rd place

Conservation status: Green-listed in Ireland and 'secure' at European level.

Blue Tit fluffing up its feathers in the cold. Photo by B. Burke

Did You know?

1. In the mid-1900’s Blue Tits learned to remove the wax-board seals from milk bottles on doorsteps in the UK and Ireland to get at the cream at the top of the bottle! The cream provided a reliable source of energy rich food, with more Blue Tits learning it from watching others.
   
2. Blue Tits have yellow breast feathers as a result of eating certain caterpillars that eat plant leaves containing carotene. The strong yellow colour advertises how good they are at finding food, and helps them attract a mate as a result!
   
3. Each Blue Tit chick can eat 100 caterpillars a day. Given that a pair of Blue Tits can lay 8-10 eggs, that’s around 15-20,000 caterpillars (or other insects) that the parents need to find in the three weeks between their chicks hatching and fledging. 
   
4. Both male and female Blue Tits look identical to us humans. The birds themselves however can see in the ultraviolet light spectrum, and so males and females actually look very different to each other in the eyes of a Blue Tit! Males have brighter crests than females, and the brighter the crest the better for females choosing a mate!  

Blue Tit. Photo by P. Kavanagh

How long do they live?

The oldest known Blue Tit in Ireland and Britain was 10 years, 3 months and 10 days old – caught at the same site in Bedfordshire in 1986 as a first-year male, and again in 1997. Their typical lifespan is around 3 years.

What do they feed on? 

Blue Tits prefer to eat insects like flies and caterpillars, and other invertebrates such as spiders. Many gardeners would be surprised and delighted at the amount of aphids (greenfly, blackfly etc) that they eat each year, as well as other grubs and larvae that can damage plants. With that in mind, a Blue Tit nestbox is a wise addition to a garden where flowers are prized!

Blue Tit. Photo by B. Burke

When invertebrates aren’t readily available in the winter months, Blue Tits will happily feed on seeds, peanuts and fat balls at bird feeders.

Irish Garden Bird Survey Trends:

Blue Tits have been a regular feature in the top 3 species in the Garden Bird Survey, along with the other garden stalwarts the Robin and the Blackbird. In the mid-1990's Blue Tits were in second place behind Robin, but in more recent years they’ve held firm in third position – adding a delightful splash of colour to around 98% of gardens!

They're common in gardens throughout the full 13 weeks of the garden bird survey (i.e. Dec-Feb), with most gardens reporting 2 or 3 Blue Tits each week. They’re not a species that forms flocks, so you’re very unlikely to spot more than 3 or 4 at any one time.

The graph above shows the average number of Blue Tits per garden during each year of the Irish garden bird survey – usually in or around 3 Blue Tits per year for each garden with a few little peaks after a good breeding season.

Movements and Migration:

Blue Tits from Ireland & Britain caught in other countries
 https://blx1.bto.org/ring/countyrec/resultsall/rec14620all.htm

As you can see from the map, our Blue Tits don't tend to move much and are resident in Ireland all year. Around 4.3 million Blue Tits have been ringed in Ireland and the UK to date, but only a very small number have been recaptured elsewhere, compared to huge numbers of species like Chaffinch or Goldfinch. So that means the Blue Tits in your garden nestbox last summer could well be the same ones visiting your feeders this Christmas, or the birds in your garden at the moment will probably be looking for a nest very nearby come the spring!

How Can I help Blue Tits?

Blue Tits nest in holes in trees and walls where available - exactly the type of nesting habitat that can be effectively re-created by nestboxes! If you want to attract nesting Blue Tits, nestboxes with a small hole (25mm) are recommended. 

You can find designs to build your own nestbox on the BirdWatch Ireland website here, or alternatively we sell a number of different types of nestboxes in our shop that are sure to suit your garden – see our selection here.

Blue Tit. Photo by D. Coombes

When it comes to putting out food for Blue Tits in your garden, they really aren’t fussy and will happily eat sunflower seeds, peanuts, mealworms, fatballs etc.


Blue Tits only weight around 11g, so the food in your garden is very valuable to them in the colder weather!


See our selection of bird foods and variety of feeder types at this link, or visit our shop in our Wicklow HQ.

This year we also have the very popular singing Blue Tit soft toy! They're soft and cuddly and play a Blue Tit call when you squeeze them. An ideal Christmas gift!

Get them at our shop at the link below, while stocks last.

Singing Blue Tit Soft Toy link

We have a variety of pin badges in our shop, including Blue Tit - the suggested donation for a pin badge is €2 each, plus €1 p&p - or 3 for €5. 

Call into ourshop in Wicklow or get in touch at info@birdwatchireland.ie to see if we haveyour favourite species in stock! 

Lastly, to help Blue Tits and your other garden birds you can become a member of BirdWatch Ireland. Membership makes an ideal Christmas gift – one that keeps on giving throughout the year.

With your membership pack you'll get a free gift, posters of Irish Birds, a pin badge, loads of leaflets on how to attract birds to your garden, and our famous Wings magazine will be delivered to your door four times per year. 

Under 18's and family memberships will also receive our 'Bird Detectives' magazine twice a year, filled with fun and educational activities!

Your BirdWatch Ireland Membership pack! 

I hope you've learned something new about Blue Tits through this species profile - if there's a species you'd like us to cover later in the winter please let us know on facebook or twitter!

Irish Garden Birds - 'Charming' Goldfinches

This blog was originally published in December 2017.


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Species Profile: Goldfinch

As Gaeilge: 'Lasair choille' - meaning 'flash' or 'flame' of the forest/woods.

Irish Garden Bird Survey Ranking 2016/17: 11th place

Conservation status: Green-listed in Ireland and 'secure' at European level. Ongoing agricultural intensification is a constant threat, and illegal trapping impacted their numbers in the past.

Goldfinch. Photo by D. Coombes

Did You know?

1. Goldfinches live in open countryside and farmland, where they nest in the trees and shrubs in hedgerows. They can have 2-3 broods per year, so their numbers can get a valuable boost after a decent summer!
   
2. They split up into pairs in spring and summer, but gather in flocks after the breeding season. The collect noun for a flock is 'a charm of Goldfinches'.
   
3. The best way to tell the difference between a male and a female Goldfinch is the amount of red on their head - for males, the red extends behind the eye, but for females it doesn't!
   
4. Poet John Keats wrote the following about Goldfinches:

"Sometimes goldfinches one by one will drop

From low hung branches; little space they stop;

But sip, and twitter, and their feathers sleek;

Then off at once, as in a wanton freak:

Or perhaps, to show their black, and golden wings,

Pausing upon their yellow flutterings.

Were I in such a place, I sure should pray

That nought less sweet, might call my thoughts away.”

Goldfinch. Photo by B. Burke

How long do they live?

The oldest known Goldfinch in Britain and Ireland was 10 years and 2 days old - caught in the exact same place as it was ringed. On average though, they live to around two years old.

What do they feed on? 

Goldfinches prefer to feed on fine seeds. In the wider countryside that means the seeds from grasses, dandelions, ragwort, teasels and thistles - so that rough un-mowed patch at the back of your garden or side of your field is really valuable for them! In gardens they're famously attracted to nyger seed, but will happily avail of sunflower seeds too. Believe it or not, it's only in the last 30 years they've started coming to birdfeeders -before that they were very rare in gardens!

Goldfinch. Photo by D. Coombes

Irish Garden Bird Survey Trends:

The graph below shows the average number of goldfinches per garden during each year of the Irish garden bird survey since it was revamped in 1994. It shows how unlikely you were to see a Goldfinch in your garden during the survey back in the mid-1990's, but in more recent years you're probably seeing 5 or 6 per week on average (though some gardens get more, and an unfortunate few get less!)

Over the 23 years of the garden bird survey, Goldfinch have climbed up the ranks from being present in less than 4% of gardens in 1994/95 (26th place) to >85% gardens in five of the last six years (peaking at 8th place overall)! Similar increases have been noticed in the UK, and it's widely accepted that they've benefited from food in gardens over this period.

They're quite common across the full 13 weeks of the garden bird survey (i.e. Dec-Feb), though numbers increase slightly as the winter goes on. 

Movements and Migration:

Goldfinches from Britain & Ireland caught elsewhere.

https://app.bto.org/ring/countyrec/resultsall/rec16530all.htm

Goldfinches are partial migrants - some stay in Ireland for the winter, and others fly abroad. Their movements vary year-to-year depending on conditions - so if it’s cold in the UK we might get some of their birds over here, and some of the Goldfinches from the colder parts of Ireland and the UK might move south to Spain and France. So that Goldfinch on your feeder this winter might be from the hedgerow in the field at the back of the house, but it might be from much further away too! Similarly, those young pale-faced Goldfinches you saw down the road in July and August could be flying over a French vineyard as you read this!

See the map above for locations that ringed Goldfinches from Britain and Ireland have been re-caught.

How Can I Help Goldfinches? 

Goldfinches nest in small open-cup nests in trees, so they won't use nestboxes.

Winter feeding in gardens has been a big help to them over the last 20 years though, increasing their survival - particularly in colder winters.

See our selection of bird foods and feeders at this link, or visit our shop in our Wicklow HQ. Goldfinches particularly like sunflower hearts and nyger seed! 

This year we also have the very popular singing Goldfinch soft toy! They're soft and cuddly and play a Goldfinch call when you squeeze them! Get them at our shop at the link below, while stocks last.

Singing Goldfinch Soft Toy link

We have a huge variety of pin badges in our shop, including Goldfinch - the suggested donation for a pin badge is €2 each, plus €1 p&p - or 3 for €5. They make a great stocking-filler!

Call into our shop or get in touch at info@birdwatchireland.ie to see if we have your favourite species in stock!

Lastly, to help Goldfinches and your other garden birds you can become a member of BirdWatch Ireland. 

Our membership pack makes an ideal gift - you'll get a special free gift to help you get the most out of birdwatching, posters of Irish Birds, a Greenland White-fronted Goose pin badge, loads of leaflets on how to attract birds to your garden, and our famous Wings magazine will be delivered to your door four times per year - so it's a gift that keeps on giving throughout the year!

Under 18's and family memberships will also receive our 'Bird Detectives' magazine twice a year, filled with fun and educational activities!

I hope you've learned something new about Goldfinches through this species profile - if there's a species you'd like us to cover later in the winter please let us know on facebook or twitter!