Let me introduce you to some of our colorful, winged friends. Meet Willie, the weaverbird​—a handsome little fellow! His head, chest and underparts are a bright yellow and his mantle is yellowish green streaked with brown, On his face, Willie wears a striking black mask. In fact, officially he is known as the masked weaver, a type of finch. And what a cheerful character! He sings his gay, sizzling song almost all day long.

Poor Willie!

Yet do these feathered friends actually make nests and bring up families here? Yes, they do. But first hear the rather sad story of Willie the weaver. Interestingly, the male of this species builds the nest. And it is quite a nest! Using tough grass, he ties two or three overhanging twigs or shoots together, and then weaves a round, compact structure with the opening underneath. To enter it, the little birds have to do some aerial acrobatics in order to land at the entrance upside down!

Now, with the nest completed, comes the crucial moment. Mrs. Weaver-to-be is invited to make an inspection. According to an expert on bird life in South Africa, the main reason that a female masked weaver rejects a nest is that she is not ready to lay eggs. If she accepts, before long there will be eggs and, later, babies to be fed. What an interesting sight is a colony of these round grass nests! There they are swaying gently in the breeze, with busy parents flying in and out.

Willie, however, was a pioneer, trying to start a new colony. It was fascinating to watch him build his first nest. Then came the great moment of inspection. What a shame! After a brief visit, his lady friend just flew away. Poor Willie! Following the usual behavior pattern of the species, he dismantled the whole nest, piece by piece. For the next day or two he was very quiet. But optimism prevailed and he tried again. Another failure!

No less than seven times in his first season, Willie built nest after nest. Each time a female came to inspect his beakwork, Willie was just a bundle of nerves! While the lady made her checkup in a cool businesslike manner, he would fly from branch to branch or perch with wings fluttering, not knowing how to contain himself.

During his second season Willie already has made more unsuccessful attempts. As yet, there is no weaverbird colony. Poor Willie must think that females are difficult creatures! Nevertheless, he provides considerable entertainment for the members of the Bethel staff who live near his planned nesting site.