THEY say moving home is one of the top five most stressful experiences. And when you're looking for a place to make your own little nest for your little ones, it gets even worse.

So spare a thought for Monmouthshire farmer Vernon Pugh who has given up his tractor to ensure some baby wrens get the best start in life.

It all started five weeks ago when their broody mother decided to build her nest in the roof of Mr Pugh's most-used tractor at Home Farm, Hilston Park, Newcastle.

She laid her eggs two weeks ago - and Mr Pugh then had to abandon it while he waits for her four or five chicks to hatch.

He said: "She has been there about five weeks, but I thought she'd left until about a fortnight ago when I felt inside the nest and found the eggs there. We were still using the tractor up till then, but we thought we had better leave it alone."

Mr Pugh, 67, has had to borrow a tractor from a friend and utilise his others, while his favourite sits in a barn.

"This has caused us a lot of problems," he said. "Someone said we will have to wait at least another fortnight for the eggs to hatch and the fledglings to be ready to fly, so we are having to sit and wait until then."

Another wren nest has been built in their yard and they are regularly visited by skylarks, curlews, lapwings, woodpeckers, housemartins and a tawny owl.

But Mr Pugh added: "This little wren is taking pride of place in our tractor and, like it or not, she's there to stay!"