Taveta Golden Weaver

This photo was taken when I went to the Calgary Zoo, on 14 October 2014. Several of these small, colourful birds had made nests that were hanging from the leaves of an indoor tropical plant. They are such busy little birds, constantly collecting very narrow, long strands of leaf for their weaving. This bird is a little male, as usual, more colourful than the female.

"The Taveta weaver (Ploceus castaneiceps) is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania. The name of the bird comes from the unique markings/coloration of the bird, as well as how these birds weave intricate nests.

The male Taveta weaver is a vibrant golden yellow color; this color is duller on its back. The wings and tail are a greener color. The back of the head is red, and the bill, or beak, is black. The female is an olive color with paler streaks. In general, the Taveta weaver is a small bird, around the size of the finch and closely related to the sparrow.

These birds live in large groups, or colonies. Weavers often make a unique—often described as "weird"—noise to communicate. Male weavers build extravagant oval nests over water attached to stems of reeds or grasses. The Taveta weavers lay two or three glossy, dark, olive-green eggs. The female bird chooses who she will mate, depending on how impressed she is with a male's skill to construct a nest." From Wikipedia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taveta_weaver

The forecast for today changed overnight. Just after noon, it says we are getting freezing fog (maybe that happened very early morning or in a different part of the city?). Temperature is -1°C (windchill -6°C), but this afternoon, it is supposed to soar to a balmy 8°C and mainly sunny. No sign of sun yet, though, just heavily overcast.