DOING LIFE

THIS IS NO HUMAN CRAFT ...

Well, changing the topic from human craft to nature's crafters. I am just about ready to jump over the moon of joy.

The weather up here in Gauteng is absolutely beautiful at the moment with hot spring days and blue skies, so I take my tea and lunch breaks sitting on the swing bench in our garden sipping my tea or munching at a samie. I had my normal 11:00 tea break this morning on the swing bench admiring the birdlife and was thinking to myself, what a life birds have ... just being able to spread their wings and fly off where and when they want to. There is a family of sparrows who has their nest just under the roof tiles in front of our study window. Mom and Dad sparrow has just hatched two chicks which have just left the nest and are still very unsure of their flight strength. So the family was hopping from rock to rock around the swing bench, very cheerfully. A few Indian Minas was also making their usual unflattering chirping and a pair of Bull Bulls was also searching for insects amongst the aloes. And of course the three species of doves were also present sipping some water from the bird bath. But, I did not notice any Weavers doing the rounds during my tea break. But during my lunch break I happen to glance at the fever trees in front of the swing bench, as I always do, and spotted a weaver nest in the making. And as I was staring in disbelief at the nest, Mr Weaver came flying along with some palm tree strips in its beak and hastily sat on his next in the making, weaving the strip of palm leaf through the nest. I could not believe that in a space of two hours, Mr Weaver has done this much work.

I know a few of you would think to yourself, how can someone be so excited about a weaver making a nest in a tree, when weavers are actually considered a nuisance by most gardeners. To answer this, for me weavers are definitely not a nuisance, I love their happy chirping and liveliness. What makes this event even more special is that during the six years we lived in Kloof not once did a weaver built a nest in the five fever trees we had in our relative huge garden. Whereas in the first 5 months since the completion of our tiny indigenous garden here in Gauteng. a weaver is building a nest in one of our relatively young fever trees, not more than 3m high.

As I am typing this post Mr Weaver is actively busy building on his nest right here in front of our study window. I am planning to keep a photo log of the progress of this nest, which by the speed he is building, should be near completion this evening. Then of course the big question is whether Mr Weaver's craftsmanship will attract an interested Mrs Weaver ... let us hold thumbs an impressed Mrs will come and have an inspection soon.

Hopefully our neighbour won't notice his palm trees being stripped!

- Nature's Admirer Signing Off