nest collecting & the Baya Weaver

Sometimes we find nests that have fallen to the ground,
or that we know have been abandoned,

and we can't resist bringing them home to our collection.  

Like all of our collections, we run out of room for them and 

ultimately have to decide what to keep and what to return to nature or to give away.   

 (Otherwise, our house would be completely overrun with nests,

special rocks, feathers, leaves, books, and oh so many other things.)

I find that it's really hard to identify a nest properly, 

and despite our handy guidebook,
we're rarely able to narrow it down with any confidence.

 Finding eggs in a nest (or on the ground underneath) 

would help identify the type of nest, 

but we've never found any eggs, except robins.

One of the things I appreciate about winter

 is how nests that were previously hidden or hard to see in spring and summer,

become so visible and exposed.  

I spot them and

think about the birds I remember seeing in or near that area,

and then I keep those locations in mind for the next season 

when the leaves fill in.    

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The nest I love most was a gift from Boo's friend.

It's a partially finished Baya Weaver's nest.

 

The Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus) is an Asian bird 

that weaves these beautiful nests and they hang like pendants on trees.  

They live in colonies, so there are usually lots and lots of them

on any given tree.

This nest we have is in what is called the 'helmet' stage, 

before the entrance tube is woven on.

Here's an image I found online of some finished nests:

Here's another photo found online or a baya weaver (female?) flying in:

 And here's a brief clip of a nest in process,

it seems to be that the male is showing the female

the nest he has made

and she is mulling it over,

deciding whether his nest cuts the mustard or not: