Have mud, will build

A nice day for a trip to the Boulder Bank on a Fernbird spotting mission.  I failed on that count, though I did hear a couple.......one seemed to be within about 5 or 6 metres of me but I couldn't see it anywhere.  They do seem to be quite masterful at camouflaging themselves.  Still, there's always a swallow or two to fill the Fernbird void.  Actually, there were at least 4 who kept zipping into an old tin shed that was nearby, then I realised they were building their nests in there. They'd disappear for a few minutes, often hanging around on the ground in pools of muddy water, then return and duck into the shed.  It wasn't until I looked closely at the images that I could see they were returning with beaks full of mud.  See extras for the one who seemed to drop his hard earned mud.  What busy wee things they were.

So, no fern birds today but plenty else to keep me entertained.  Weather not looking too crash hot over the next few days and still I haven't made it over to Golden Bay.  There might be a super-quick trip this week sometime....