nesting..

..and this the home of a Western Gerygone (Gerygone fusca), a very big name for a tiny brown bird.

I found this nest on a friend's farm a couple of years ago and only today have had it identified by J. Beautiful and intricate as the nest design is the story behind these nests is even more incredible.
The small entry with its cute little 'veranda' is partly to deter entry of cuckoos (and yes there are cuckoos in Aus) into the nest to lay their eggs.
HOWEVER!! the crafty cuckoos have adapted their ovipositors (the tubular structure through which eggs are deposited).
By hanging upside down on the nest surface they extend the ovipositor through the nest entry and hooley dooley there is an infiltrator in the nest.

Now that is something to tweet about :)