Winged beauties hidden among flora

Dreoilín, dreoilín where is your nest?

THIS verse from a “wran boys” song, asking the unfortunate wren to reveal its nest, brings holly and ivy together, as in so many other songs – perhaps it’s because they are both dark green and thrive in the lightless understorey of forests.

And they both magically shine in shafts of winter sunlight, lit up like stars in the night.