Jenny

We seem to have always had a wren in our garden. I see them briefly ... then they are gone and it was pure luck here. She's got nesting material not a beakful of food which I'd originally thought was rather puffin like.

We had a wren on our farthing copper coin, on the Royal Mail first class stamp and in the vote to choose our national bird it came fourth behind the robin, kingfisher and barn owl. A bird with a huge Twitter following presumably.

The surname 'Wren' does actually come from the bird and is from the Anglo-Saxon word meaning lascivious but was applied to people who were small, busy, quick and energetic just like a wren is. 

They get friendlier as the weather gets colder and I have seen masses of them huddled together under the eaves outside the garage in an old swallows nest, burrowed head down, tails up at night for warmth. Rather like penguins in a way but upside down.

They eat insects, spiders and even tadpoles which is amazing but also for a treat grated cheese which really is not to be put on the bird table but down on the floor. You could include mealworms, breadcrumbs and oatmeal as a supplement to this under low cover. 

They can produce two notes at the same time with a loud song and in Germany they name it the 'hedge-king' whereas we have the Jenny wren the female version because it's the female which is very vocal when she's got young. 

Harming a wren is said to bring bad luck - beware. Not that I can possibly imagine any blipper even thinking of such a thing honestly!