That loud, trilling bird song which seems to dominate everything else, fast ringing notes, which must be coming from a bird the size of a Pigeon? That’ll be a Wren, one of Europe’s smallest birds measuring up to 4cm long. Ours hides in the bushes at the edge of the terrace, a rustle of leaves, the hint of a bright eye, is all that gives him away.

A resident here, the Wren is surprisingly beautiful in flight: warm chestnut brown in colour, with softly barred wing tips. The Wren is most easily identified by a) his size, and by his uplifted tail which gives him a jaunty, cocksure air.

Listen to the song of the Wren and read more about it at the RSPB website.

5 to remember
un wren – a Wren
la talla de – the size of
una paloma – a Pigeon
un crujido – a rustle
una pista – a hint

Listen to the song of these other birds we see in our Spanish valley:-
Mistle Thrush
Booted Eagle
Green Woodpecker

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
A song much bigger than his size: the mighty wren #Spain #birds via @Spanish_Valley http://wp.me/p3dYp6-1Iw