BREEDING FAR IN THE SOUTH?

SPECIALIST TAILOR MADE SAFARI

A couple years ago we enjoyed a breeding pair of Red –headed Weavers in Phinda. Unfortunately after they bred here they were gone and not to be seen again.

It was midday and we had decided to rest and have our brunch in the shade of a Sycamore Fig. As we drove to our perfect little spot, I once again, as I always do, wondered about the Red-headed Weavers that used to nest above the road and always looked and listened for them in the vicinity. Once again there was no sign of them and their nests over the years had slowly disappeared.

I had forgotten about the birds and we were enjoying our scrumptious brunch, listening to the wind gushing through the trees and enjoying the variety of birds and their calls. “What is that bird, with the red on it?” Bernard said. Almost throwing our coffee mugs to the ground we panicked to grab our binoculars, we knew it was something special. WOW it was them, the Red-headed Weavers are still here!

They had moved and are still in the process of building their nests to a quieter, more secluded area a mere 200 metres up stream and are nesting in the sycamore Fig that we were using for shade.

In all my years here this is the only population of Red-headed Weavers that I have seen in the area and is on the edge of its distribution. This is possibly the most southerly breeding record of this species in Africa!

Posted: Phinda by Daryl Dell, Date: 12 January 2012

 
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