Wow. It's been a little bit since I've posted anything here, two years to be exact. Things happen and I don't feel like I need to go into it all, but I thought I'd start posting here again.
My first somewhat normal outing since the beginning of the pandemic was to the San Diego Zoo a few weeks ago. While there I came across these incredible birds called weavers.
They are small sociable birds related to finches and the vast majority of them live in Africa. What's incredible is that they actually weave and knot their nests one blade of grass at a time. They hold the blade of grass with their foot and tie the knot with their beak. The result is a highly complex hanging woven chamber.
The male builds the nest as a way to attract a female. The better the builder, the more likely he is to find a mate. There are a lot of YouTube videos showing these crafty little birds at work. I recommend watching one and if you get a chance seeing them in person at the zoo.
It was fascinating to watch the weaverbirds busy at work making their nests. These images are some of my favorites. All were made with Ilford Delta 3200 film.