The large object hanging on the right-hand side of the tree is a bird nest. Actually, I should say birds’ nest – because it is home to a whole colony of birds of the same species, so-called ‘sociable weavers’. They are found in Western areas of Southern Africa and owe their name to the fact that they build large compound community nests which they share.
The photo at the top was taken in the grounds of our lodge near Namibia’s NamibRand nature reserve, but you see the nests quite frequently all over the country.
The next two images are close-ups of the nest from different angles and give you a better idea of how they are constructed and laid out.
Sometimes disaster strikes and necessitates a rebuilding effort, as the next image illustrates. If you look closely, you might just be able to make out individual birds sitting on the branches. They are quite small – roughly sparrow-sized.
No other types of weaver bird build such communal homes. However, some construct individual spherical nests that are suspended from branches like baubles hanging on a Christmas tree. Below are a couple of examples.
Fascinating! I’ve never seen these nests before.
We had never come across them either until our first trip to Namibia. It took us a while to realise what we were looking at.