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Wildlife Spotting

Photo by ShannaB
Published on Project Noah
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Field Notes

Description:

Nest, appears to be made out of mud and plant matter, about the size of an indoor soccer ball.

Notes:

Seen on the Barcaldine Botanical Walk. The third shot shows the tree the nest was in. There was no visible animal activity around the nest when I was there, so I am guessing when I put it in the 'Birds' category. Could be insects?

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (20)

Hahaha, I will definitely poke it with a stick next time, Argybee!!
No need there no rain or heavy rain... its their own lifestyle to collect food on trees and store only there..
I find Ant built nest on trees for protection. Their nest is mostly used as food warehouse than shelter.
Ashish might be on the right track with ants... but which one? @Ashish this area is very dry - almost desert (lat 23) and I don't think there are any deciduous forests in Aus.
4-5 years... if it rains at all ... :) OK Shanna - in future you are authorised to touch something like that with stick if you must.
I think the rainfall there is very low.
In this area rain is also lasts 4-5 months..?
Here is one similar... http://www.cape-york-australia.com/cape-york-wildlife.html
Ashish - it was a dry forest, I don't really know what you'd call it, but there's lots of eucalypts, acacias, grevillias, etc. Argybee, I found some Crematogaster sp. sites but not really much on their nest-building activities. I don't really know what to search for though. (And I don't know what it felt like... as IF I'm touching that thing!) ; )
Here's an example of an insect doing this... http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/8546869 size of a softball maybe.
Isn't it like something seen on this link... http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-photo/jenandtony/1/1253789813/green-ant-nests-still-in-the-tree.jpg/tpod.html
Ashish we don't seem to have Crematogaster in trees here.
Shanna is this nest located in deciduous and dry forest..?
yea i think so too.bit small holes for a bird
Look to be Ant nest. Its called Pagoda ant or Pagoda nest of Ants.
Thanks Mark, that's what I thought too but Liam says it doesn't appear to be a bird's nest... and I don't think he's ever wrong when it comes to birds! : )
birds nest, used dried grass and straws and mud.. but im not so sure what kind of bird it might belong to
Thanks Liam, I've changed the category to arthropods... I really have no idea what it might be though. It doesn't look like any sort of nest I've seen before.
Doesn't appear to be a bird's nest. I'd guess some sort of hornet or something.
Photographed
PublishedJune 10, 2012

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