Mascot for July: The Hardworking and Beautiful Weaver Bird

July's Mascot comes courtesy of Lynn, who brought this fascinating little bird to my attention.

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The Weaver Bird is just cool.  It makes a complex nest that hangs upside down for entry.  This protects it from many predators (you know that might swoop down and eat the young).
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To make it harder for non-swooping predators, some build them over water, so if they fall into the drink when attempting entry, they don't get a second change.

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Although the entry type doesn't vary, the nest themselves do.  The male of some species rebuild their nests yearly.

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Other pairs rebuild year after year in the same place.  In parts of Africa, some males get together and make massive colonies in a tree or a collection of trees.  Like a community of weaver nests.

That isn't just dead tree, it is a weaver nest colony.

In other weaver species the males make part of a nest or parts of many nests, and the only finish when a female picks one.

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Anyway, I like them.  So here is the mascot for July - the fascinating weaver bird.