Nesting

For a few days now, when I walk under a particular cluster of trees in our yard I have a new bird friend never far from me, such a sweet little fella this spotted pardalote, today I noticed he was gathering nesting material. These birds are very small, as you can see when compared to the leaves of the plum tree he is sitting in.

Spotted Pardalote in Canberra

As I watched him today at some stage he just disappeared. literally! One minute he was on the ground hopping about and I turned away and then back and he was gone! As I scanned the canopy looking for him, he reappeared on the ground, I though this was so odd as the bold spots on his back make him very easy to see  in the dirt of the old vege garden bed we are dismantling.

Spotted Pardalote in Canberra

My next thought was he must have gone into that hole for some reason ... ???

Inside I rushed to have my suspicion confirmed Spotted Pardalote's nest in self excavated tunnels often in garden beds and close to houses where Eucalypt canopy is Plentiful. 

Spotted Pardalote nest

I saw the pair of them gathering this evening when I took these photos of him, she stayed deeper up in the tree and is not as brightly coloured so I couldn't get a good focus on her in the shadows. 

Spotted Pardalote nest

So here it is, their little tunnel leading to a nest chamber in our current garden project. Which is now somewhat on hold as we let Nature take its course.