Discovering Sociable Weaver Nests in South Africa
Discovering Sociable Weaver nests in South Africa was the highlight of our drive from Cape Town to Upington. In a rather barren and very arid stretch of landscape, the nests stood out as quite unusual constructions on thin utility poles that looked like they would snap under the weight.
Heading north from Cape Town towards Upington in the Northern Cape, Bob and I discovered the countryside was more lush and greener than expected. Growing wheat continued to be the predominant choice of agricultural pursuits. Once in the area of Malmesbury, two new mountain ranges rose on the eastern and western horizons to embrace the never-ending wheat fields on this corridor of arable land.
Our stay on the first night of this segment of our trip was at Clanwilliam Lodge.
Located in the magical Oliphant’s River Valley, Clanwilliam Lodge is a hidden gem that captures the essence of a luxurious Arabian tent. The pool area is an oasis-like sanctuary, nestled in the unforgiving semi-desert habitat.
It was time to unwind and let down our hair after the lengthy drive.
On the road again the following morning, Bob was able to clip along at 100-120 kilometres/hour on excellent, arrow-straight road surfaces where the shoulders serve as extra lanes.
After driving for 2 hours, we crossed into the Northern Cape district of South Africa. The terrain is consistently made up of arid hills supporting little more than low-growing desert grasses and bushes. Just when we thought that nothing could possibly survive in that desolate area, a colony of Baboons darted across the asphalt escaping the threat of our fast approaching vehicle after having raided the water supply of a flock of sheep.
As we neared Karkhams, it was time to think about having some lunch. Towns and farms were few and far between, but ample picnic shelters are provided along this route.
We had a delightful picnic at one of the thatched-roofed buildings, which spared us from the 33° Celsius heat, but our sojourn wasn’t without a bit of stress. A truck with rifle-toting passengers arrived just as we set up, and we hoped that they weren’t looking for trouble.
After observing the men partaking of their own lunch, we were able to relax. Doing a little walkabout to stretch our muscles, we found an interesting bird’s nest adeptly woven into a spherical shape.
As we moved on, more vegetation covered the mountainsides, sustained by tributaries of the Orange River, the longest river in South Africa.
Next we found ourselves on a roadway that bisects a very rugged, rocky, hilly plateau of brown, ochre, orange and white hues.
The vast arid plain was punctuated with boulders the size of houses. Bald peaks tinged with teal blue topped mountains of loose granite and sand.
Our lodging for this night was at Mountainview Lodge in Springbok, a town secreted deep in between the same forbidding mountains we had seen all day. The town’s water supply is dependent on the mighty Orange River 130 kilometres away.
We learned from the proprietor that the bleak and barren mountainsides and valleys viewed from our room spring to life with a carpet of wildflowers in the winter, between June – September.
The route taking us north from Springbok passed through flat, sandy terrain covered with blonde or grey-blue grasses and the odd woody bush. We found it peculiar to see so many outcroppings of haphazard rock piles.
This area of high plateau, part of the Highveld, gave us a glimpse of the red desert sands ahead in the Kalahari.
Near a town called Aggeneys, we came upon some of the most impressive birds’ nests that we have ever seen. They were humongous!
We later learned that the oversized nests were constructed by Sociable Weavers, birds endemic to South Africa. Their range is centred, in fact, in the Northern Cape Province.
Northern Cape province is the largest, least-populated province in South Africa. Having driven for miles and miles without seeing another soul, it was reassuring to finally spot a couple of homesteads with flocks of sheep grazing nearby.
Sociable Weaver nests became more numerous and elaborate. These birds are insectivorous, so we wondered if that accounted for them constructing one nest in close proximity to a flock of sheep that would attract many insects.
Sociable Weaver nests are divided into many chambers. The birds utilize twigs and straw to weave the giant thatched nests. These nests are so well constructed that they can last for a century despite being inhabited by as many as 200 birds at any one time. Bob and I were utterly fascinated!
As a point of scenic interest on this day, Bob and I were travelling to Augrabies Falls National Park. There was a fair distance yet to go, so we merely appreciated any additional Sociable Weaver nests on the fly. We had no idea that these would be dwarfed by future sightings!
Frame To Frame – Bob and Jean