Wren lovers cancel holiday

Mr Lyon cancelled his holiday to allow the wrens to nest

A Nottinghamshire couple have cancelled their holiday after a wren hatched its chicks inside their car's wheel cover.

The wren and its four chicks decided to set up housekeeping inside George and Wendy Lyon's car in Ruddington, even though the couple's two-acre garden has plenty of hedges and trees for the birds to choose from.

The wren, one of the UK's smallest birds, is found all over the countryside.

But the Lyons have cancelled their holiday to Wales to avoid disturbing the bird.

Insect eaters

"The bird must have been sitting on her nest while I was driving around," Mr Lyon said.

"We were looking forward to our holiday but with the wren on its nest - it is no disappointment at all.

"I am so thrilled with it."

Tim Cleeves of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) said the wren's nest is very fragile and would probably fall apart if moved.

"If they are willing to give up their holiday for a wren - that's fantastic," he said.

There are about 7million wrens in the UK.

The tiny birds feed on spiders, spider eggs, flies and other insects and are often difficult to spot.

The breeding male makes five or six nests and then the female chooses one nest to lay her eggs.