Taveta Golden Weaver

This photo was taken when I went to the Calgary Zoo on 3 November 2014. Several of these small, colourful birds had made nests that were hanging from the leaves of an indoor tropical plant. They are such busy little birds, constantly collecting very narrow, long strands of leaf for their weaving. This bird is a male, as usual, more colourful than the female. I don’t particularly like feeder shots, but I was surprised at the rather fancy “salad” that was provided for the birds.

"The Taveta weaver (Ploceus castaneiceps) is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania. The name of the bird comes from the unique markings/coloration of the bird, as well as how these birds weave intricate nests.

The male Taveta weaver is a vibrant golden yellow color; this color is duller on its back. The wings and tail are a greener color. The back of the head is red, and the bill, or beak, is black. The female is an olive color with paler streaks. In general, the Taveta weaver is a small bird, around the size of the finch and closely related to the sparrow.

These birds live in large groups, or colonies. Weavers often make a unique—often described as "weird"—noise to communicate. Male weavers build extravagant oval nests over water attached to stems of reeds or grasses. The Taveta weavers lay two or three glossy, dark, olive-green eggs. The female bird chooses who she will mate, depending on how impressed she is with a male's skill to construct a nest." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taveta_weaver

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Our weather took a turn for the worse yesterday evening. After a sunny day, freezing fog developed later evening, just when I had to drive home from part way across the city. It was the annual supper for a group I belong to and it was a very pleasant evening. Always good to catch up with friends. There is a warning that our roads are going to turn into “skating rinks” – never good news. Temperatures will plunge and this afternoon will be -6C with snow all day today and all day tomorrow (Monday). Temperature will be down to -14C on Tuesday, but at least the sun should be shining. I have to drive south of the city today and I’m not looking forward to it. It's -6C as I type at 6:00 am (windchill -12C) and it snowed overnight). I am so not ready for this!!