She has turned the tree hole
into a predator-proof fortress.
Nesting is a dangerous time for any bird.
The hole in this tree trunk
will provide vital protection.
Just what she wants.
Once settled inside,
the female does something truly bizarre.
She pulls out her flight feathers.
She is not going to need them
because she will be staying in here
for quite some time.
Now her partner brings her a beakful of mud
and she begins to seal herself in.
She has turned the tree hole
into a predator-proof fortress.
But it’s also a prison.
Her partner, however, is a regular visitor.
For the next two months,
he will deliver all her food directly
to her door.
Delicious.
It may seem that he has been doing all the work,
but she too has been fully occupied.
The food he has brought
has enabled her to produce two precious eggs.
She will keep them safe for another six weeks,
until the young have grown and fledged.
And then both she and they
will break out of their confinement.
But until then,
this devoted couple are going to be very busy indeed.
