I’ve lamented my lack of success in photographing wrens before and we’ve established that NiC is the man with the shots.
Well on my walk to work yesterday a photo opportunity fell, literally, at my feet. Now don’t get excited, I had the camera out of the bag, but with the wrong lens and setting for what was needed, but I fired away because I’d never seen anything like it before.
A pair of tiny wrens, locked in combat rolled down the bank and in to the leaf litter like a pair of pair of brawling drunks on a Saturday night. I can tell you they were going for it; and my what big pointy beaks they have for such a little bird!
I thought at one stage that one was dead, it was getting such a pounding,
they were oblivious too me and I thought I was going to have to try and pick them up when I heard a car approaching (by now they’d cartwheeled in the road) but the noise of the car was enough to make them break and fly off into the hedgerow. I can’t find much in my books about such behaviour, but it certainly seems like it is territorial, the best information I could find is here. It just goes to show what a dash of spring sunshine can do to a fella!
Uphilldowndale 
fab. I’ve nearly cycled over two blackbirds going at it hammer & tongs but never seen wrens fight like that. Must have been a particularly good territory…
A leafy lane, steep banks with exposed tree roots, good places for nest I imagine.
You certainly had a unique opportunity there. I have never seen anything like that and I’m not sure I’d want to – I’m in the habit of separating squabbling pigeons if I think one is getting worsted by the other!
It was an interesting observation of wildlife behaviour nonetheless.
I’m one of those who thinks a blurry photo is sometimes better than no photo at all!
Wow, a bird barney. They must have been fairly well matched and/or after a truly prime area of real estate. I’ve seen sparrow scuffles, but those are usually very brief.
Just shows how close we are to non-humans, we guard our territory as well.
Loved the pics, blur and all – but I would have said an ‘Action Photo’.
Excellent reporting! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bird barney before. Love the phrase, though, and will keep it. I swear all nature loves a good fight. No wonder we can’t figure out how to do without boneheaded battles.
What a surprising sight that must have been … good that you were able to get some action shots to show the flurry of feathers.
It sounds there like you had the camera out of the bag before the fight happened, and always walk round with camera ready for action. I guess that’s right otherwise how would you get all those lovely shots day after day. This one’s a good un too; long-haired wrens, I’ve never seen anything like them before.
Haha, I think someone made an arcade game about this…
I didn’t manage to get it with any kind of image, but we had an ‘altercation’ between a Blue Tit and a Tree Sparrow underneath the box used by the Blue Tit. The Tree Sparrow was trying to take over the box but the Blue Tit would have none of it. At one point the Blue Tit had the Sparrow by the feathers under it’s throat and the Sparrow just couldn’t get away! Of course, the whole thing lasted only about 30 seconds before the Sparrow decided it was on a loser and flew off.
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