h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Very interesting Guide Entry Willem.

I didn't realise weaver birds nested in them.

zdt

'Aloe right back at ya Terri! Thanks for your comment! It's just the one species of weaver bird, the Sociable Weaver, that tends to nest in them ... I'm gonna try and see over here in Pietersburg where we have more species of weavers, if maybe some other species also might be interested in it!

I adore Weaver birds; the name "Sociable Weavers" just somehow...dunno, it just gets to me, can't explain it.Yes, they are, why the hell can't humans manage this? Like so many African birds & plants; why is "hoopoe" for me a physical manifestation of "hope"; with his optimistic crest? And rollers, just laughing at the world & telephone wires "ooh, you put these here just for ME? Wheeeeeeeee!!!!"

I'm sure South African creatures have a massively developed sense of humour; ever watched hammerkops doing group naughties at dawn round a very middle class swimming pool?

As for the animals, well, i defy anyone not to fall about into hysteria at their first sight of meerkats & hyrax!!!!!Dik-diks! Klipspringers!!!


zdt

No I've never seen Hamerkops do that! Where have you been hanging out??!!

Seriously now ... there's a lot of humour in nature. I like a lot these tiny little birds that approach life with such unshakable confidence. Sunbirds ... prinias ... scalyfeathered finches ... by the way why do the English give these little things such dull names? In Afrikaans a sunbird is a 'suikerbekkie' (little sugar beak) ... a prinia is a 'langstertjie' (little long-tail) and a scalyfeathered finch is a 'baardmannetjie' (little bearded man). When referring to little birds like this I call them 'klein gemorsies' (little rubbishes) and often put the word 'boud' (=butt) in their names so a sunbird becomes a little sugar butt. At any rate I love watching the 'little sugar butts' making such an enormous racket and going about as if they own the entire garden! Of course I planted all of those flowers especially for them!!

Oooh...i may start confusing people even more by combining Franglais, Yodish & SarfEfrican...what a good idea. Soon i will BD Seoul parson don le planete key parl Terrish.

zdt

It'll be funny if you're the only one on 'Terra' who can speak 'Terrish'!!