When I was about 7 years old, my grandma’s sister, Maureen, traveled from England to visit us in Florida. We welcomed her into our home, taking her on a house tour which ended on the patio. Maureen let out a little gasp as a something scurried across the floor. “It’s just a lizard!” I exclaimed, catching it and cupping it in my hands. For my brother and I, lizard hunting was like a recreational sport. We competed to see who could catch more, and then we would keep the poor things in a little clear aquarium until mom made us release them.
Maureen explained that she didn’t have lizards in England. How strange, I thought. I brought the lizard over to her, so she could see how harmless it was. Her demeanor went from scared, to accepting and eventually she held it herself.
It was amazing how something so common to me, could be so foreign to her. I imagine that’s how my family felt this weekend as I watched the common weaver bird with wonder.
While in my husbands aunt and uncle backyard, (I guess that would make them my aunt and uncle in law?) I spotted strange nests hanging from the tree. I asked uncle Mike about the nests, and he said they were Weaver nests, Lesser Masked Weaver nests to be exact.
The bright yellow, male Weaver gathers strips of grass, tying knots to build this complex nest to lure in the female weaver of his dreams. Once he attracts the female’s attention, she flies over to inspect the nest. If it meets her standards, she will move in. If she disapproves, she will tear it apart and demand a better nest.
It’s only the best for the Weaver bird, and let’s be honest, it’s not just female birds who can be this demanding!
Shortly after Mike told me about the birds, we spotted the male Weaver working on his nest.
Then we spotted a female bird!
She came over to check on the progress.
No clue if it was up to her standard, but by the looks of it there is at least one that wasn’t. (middle-right)
This video shows a Weaver in action!
Proof that even the most common animals can be fascinating, and women, as demanding as they are, know exactly what they want.