Options

Masked Weaver

BigAlBigAl Registered Users Posts: 2,294 Major grins
edited January 4, 2008 in Wildlife
I chanced upon this Masked Weaver building a nest, within easy shooting distance of the road. The weaving is quite intricate.

235442048-L.jpg

235442054-L.jpg

235442059-L.jpg

235442063-L.jpg

235442065-L.jpg


...and then once in a while a passing female pops along to see how things are going with the building. If the nest is ready, and she's ready to mate, she will accept his nest. If she's not ready, she rips the nest to pieces. This female seemed quite keen...
235442067-L.jpg

(sorry I missed getting her head in focus folks :cry)
Birds
Bugs
Spiders
Flowers

Comments

  • Options
    Jack'll doJack'll do Registered Users Posts: 2,977 Major grins
    edited December 24, 2007
    Quite an industrious little fellow. Wonderful capture. Love to see a photo when the nest is completed if you can.
    jrg.smugmug.com

    Jack
    (My real name is John but Jack'll do)
  • Options
    dallasdallas Registered Users Posts: 1,638 Major grins
    edited December 24, 2007
    Great shots Al. The images are right on the money, and show us a fascinating mating ritual. Thanks for the interesting series.thumb.gifthumb.gifthumb.gif
    William
    http://woofwoof.smugmug.com
  • Options
    MaestroMaestro Registered Users Posts: 5,395 Major grins
    edited December 24, 2007
    Beautiful shots! I love the eye contact!
    Stephen
    www.capture-the-pixel.com

  • Options
    Ann McRaeAnn McRae Registered Users Posts: 4,584 Major grins
    edited December 24, 2007
    Very pretty bird - and great shots. Thanks for sharing as I'd not heard of this species or nest behavior before. Particularly like #3 and #6.

    ann

    My Galleries     My Photography BLOG
    Ramblings About Me
  • Options
    HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited December 25, 2007
    Excellent Al clap.gif , great colors in the shots. Now we expect a F/U on the progress of the nest. deal.gif
    Harry
    http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
    How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
  • Options
    dbaker1221dbaker1221 Registered Users Posts: 4,482 Major grins
    edited December 25, 2007
    excellent series Al:ivar
    **If I keep shooting, I'm bound to hit something**
    Dave
  • Options
    BigAlBigAl Registered Users Posts: 2,294 Major grins
    edited December 25, 2007
    Jack'll do wrote:
    Quite an industrious little fellow. Wonderful capture. Love to see a photo when the nest is completed if you can.
    Thanks John! I'll try and pop around to the reserve this weekend to see if his nest was accepted. They used to be plentiful in suburbia, but they are such easy targets for kiddies (and not so kiddies) with BB guns :cry
    Birds
    Bugs
    Spiders
    Flowers
  • Options
    BigAlBigAl Registered Users Posts: 2,294 Major grins
    edited December 25, 2007
    dallas wrote:
    Great shots Al. The images are right on the money, and show us a fascinating mating ritual. Thanks for the interesting series.thumb.gifthumb.gifthumb.gif
    Thanks William!
    Birds
    Bugs
    Spiders
    Flowers
  • Options
    bfjrbfjr Registered Users Posts: 10,980 Major grins
    edited December 25, 2007
    2nd to last one thumb.gif

    the winner here, well to my eyes :D
    Benjamin
    My Galleries
    Flicker
    G+
  • Options
    kdogkdog Administrators Posts: 11,681 moderator
    edited December 26, 2007
    Awe, a love story with a happy ending. iloveyou.gif

    Great behavorial shots of a very pretty bird! clap.gif

    -joel
    Moderator of Landscapes forum
    Link to my Smugmug site
  • Options
    BigAlBigAl Registered Users Posts: 2,294 Major grins
    edited December 26, 2007
    Maestro wrote:
    Beautiful shots! I love the eye contact!
    Thanks Stephen!
    Birds
    Bugs
    Spiders
    Flowers
  • Options
    BigAlBigAl Registered Users Posts: 2,294 Major grins
    edited December 26, 2007
    Ann McRae wrote:
    Very pretty bird - and great shots. Thanks for sharing as I'd not heard of this species or nest behavior before. Particularly like #3 and #6.

    ann
    Thanks Ann! The behaviour is common in quite a few of our yellow weavers.
    Birds
    Bugs
    Spiders
    Flowers
  • Options
    BigAlBigAl Registered Users Posts: 2,294 Major grins
    edited December 26, 2007
    Harryb wrote:
    Excellent Al clap.gif , great colors in the shots. Now we expect a F/U on the progress of the nest. deal.gif
    Thanks Harry! Unfortunately, the nest is in a reserve some distance away, so can't get there every day. I will definitely pop around on Sunday again to see if the nest is still in one piece.
    Birds
    Bugs
    Spiders
    Flowers
  • Options
    BigAlBigAl Registered Users Posts: 2,294 Major grins
    edited December 26, 2007
    dbaker1221 wrote:
    excellent series Al:ivar
    Thanks Dave! Bigma still rules :D
    Birds
    Bugs
    Spiders
    Flowers
  • Options
    BigAlBigAl Registered Users Posts: 2,294 Major grins
    edited December 27, 2007
    bfjr wrote:
    2nd to last one thumb.gif

    the winner here, well to my eyes :D
    Thanks Ben! Appreciate the comment!
    Birds
    Bugs
    Spiders
    Flowers
  • Options
    BigAlBigAl Registered Users Posts: 2,294 Major grins
    edited December 27, 2007
    kdog wrote:
    Awe, a love story with a happy ending. iloveyou.gif

    Great behavorial shots of a very pretty bird! clap.gif

    -joel
    Thanks Joel!
    Birds
    Bugs
    Spiders
    Flowers
  • Options
    mepaparazzimepaparazzi Registered Users Posts: 29 Big grins
    edited December 28, 2007
    The birdy actually looks proud of his creation! bowdown.gif
    Even you should be! Super pics! thumb.gif
  • Options
    Dennis KaczorDennis Kaczor Registered Users Posts: 2,413 Major grins
    edited December 29, 2007
    Nice series done here and I like the looks of this bird, it kind of reminds me of a raccon with that black face. Nice shots.
    Regards - Dennis

    Dennis Kaczor Photography
  • Options
    BigAlBigAl Registered Users Posts: 2,294 Major grins
    edited December 29, 2007
    mepaparazzi wrote:
    The birdy actually looks proud of his creation! bowdown.gif
    Even you should be! Super pics! thumb.gif
    Thanks for your kind words!
    Birds
    Bugs
    Spiders
    Flowers
  • Options
    BigAlBigAl Registered Users Posts: 2,294 Major grins
    edited January 3, 2008
    Not sure how manay people go back to old threads, but rather than starting a new one, I decided to wake this one up to show what the completed nest looks like:

    239081837-L.jpg


    Normally the male will build as many as he can to attract as many females as possible:

    239081840-L.jpg

    The one on the left here is more or less where the weaver was building in the pics at the start of the thread. Unfortunately, there was no activity at the nests, so I assume they have been deserted without any breeding taking place :cry

    [BTW, these pics were salvaged as per this thread]
    Birds
    Bugs
    Spiders
    Flowers
  • Options
    JavaLoverJavaLover Registered Users Posts: 306 Major grins
    edited January 3, 2008
    Thanks for the update! Very cool series.
    Canon 40D, stock lens and now a Canon 55mm-250mm f/4-5.6 IS.
    tfarley.smugmug.com
  • Options
    raptorcaptorraptorcaptor Registered Users Posts: 3,968 Major grins
    edited January 3, 2008
    Great set Al! We used to have several weavers in our garden when I was a kid. Fun to watch.
    Glenn

    My website | NANPA Member
  • Options
    riddim_makerriddim_maker Registered Users Posts: 1,835 Major grins
    edited January 3, 2008
    The first thing that came to mind when I saw these was WOW!
    Great behavioral depiction and awesome images to match
    especially #3 clap.gifclap.gifclap.gifclap.gifclap.gifclap.gifclap.gifclap.gif
    Russ
  • Options
    jwearjwear Registered Users Posts: 8,005 Major grins
    edited January 3, 2008
    great stuff Al happy new year
    Jeff W

    “PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE ‘JAZZ’ FOR THE EYES…”

    http://jwear.smugmug.com/
  • Options
    BigAlBigAl Registered Users Posts: 2,294 Major grins
    edited January 4, 2008
    JavaLover wrote:
    Thanks for the update! Very cool series.
    Thanks for commenting!
    Birds
    Bugs
    Spiders
    Flowers
  • Options
    BigAlBigAl Registered Users Posts: 2,294 Major grins
    edited January 4, 2008
    raptorcaptor wrote:
    Great set Al! We used to have several weavers in our garden when I was a kid. Fun to watch.
    Thanks Glenn! You're right, they are fun to watch - bet you still miss it :D
    Birds
    Bugs
    Spiders
    Flowers
  • Options
    BigAlBigAl Registered Users Posts: 2,294 Major grins
    edited January 4, 2008
    riddim_maker wrote:
    The first thing that came to mind when I saw these was WOW!
    Great behavioral depiction and awesome images to match
    especially #3 clap.gifclap.gifclap.gifclap.gifclap.gifclap.gifclap.gifclap.gif
    Thanks Russ - appreciated!
    Birds
    Bugs
    Spiders
    Flowers
  • Options
    BigAlBigAl Registered Users Posts: 2,294 Major grins
    edited January 4, 2008
    jwear wrote:
    great stuff Al happy new year
    Thanks Jeff - to you too! Maybe this is my year of the eagle :D
    Birds
    Bugs
    Spiders
    Flowers
Sign In or Register to comment.