All hail the king of winter

NOW that the clocks have gone back, it’s officially winter.

The wren has become king of the birds. In a reversal of good governance, he will reign until St Stephen’s Day when, traditionally, the little Lord of Misrule is hunted down and assassinated. The forces of darkness banished, the light can return, the sun rising higher in the sky as the days lengthen.

People think the ‘wran’ is our smallest bird but it isn’t. Weighing about 10g, it ranks fifth from the bottom among the commoner species. The willow warbler and chiffchaff tip the scales at 7-8g. These migrants, not being here in winter, aren’t pretenders to the avian throne. The tree-creeper, a resident and a gram or two lighter than the wren, is too shy and timid for the cruel sport of politics.