Brushing is what we do!

Excuse the mess indeed! Not many suburban Sydney gardeners are quick to excuse the brush-turkeys that take up residence and mess up their gardens.

This one has made itself at home in a front yard near us. He built this enormous mound. His mate laid her eggs in it, and he's been tending it for weeks, defending it and rearranging it to keep the incubation  temperature exactly right. When the eggs hatch the chicks spend a day or two burrowing upwards and outwards. Then they're off into the world to fend for themselves.

Most gardeners try to evict a brush turkey before he gets too comfortable, but this one seems to have human friends looking out for him.