Spring and the Willy Wagtail nest building

"Spring has sprung and the grass has rizz
I wonder where the birdies is..."
Omar Khayyam said " the Bird is on the wing" but isn't the wing on the bird?...
Our pond has attracted a variety of birds this spring. We had the Black duck pair amusing themselves while the White-faced Heron stood calmly by. Yesterday three black duck flew in and it was a bit like a gang rape, as the female was being mounted by two males and nearly drowning in the process.....a bit of a worry that..

Our resident Willy Wagtail couple have been busy constructing their nest for the past fortnight or so.They both came onto the patio vine and decided where a good branch might be. After testing a few areas first ,they decided that the branch nearly above our Weber would be a good place. I have told them, we live here also and they will have to put up with me cooking out there at times.....they don't mind at all it appears....
Their nest is a marvel of construction. It seems they glue the first layer down and then proceed to bring in suitable materials like fine twigs

 and grasses. Then they hunt out the spiderwebs and use them to strengthen the whole structure.
By this time they look for lining materials and I put out some combed wool fibers which they duly picked up and used.
If you click on the left photo you can see the male smoothing down the outside of the nest.
Now I guess it will be egg laying time and while she sits, he sings her songs all night long....
so sweet....

The photo on the right shows a pair of Wood duck which flew in a couple of weeks ago.
They of course, make their nest in the large Gum tree by the gate, high up and well out of reach of
predators. When the ducklings have hatched and big enough, they have to fall out of the tree onto the ground well below and you wonder how they survive this, bouncing quite lightly perhaps...
Funnily, the White face heron also has a nest in the same huge, Sugar gum but I think they only have about one chick whereas the Wood duck seem to have a dozen or more. They are actually not ducks but Maned Geese....
Meanwhile we have been driven mad with five hundred or more shrieking Corellas....it drives one to thoughts of Murder......