Long gone (best seen in large)

I have taken this nest several days this week and then put up something else. Today was a wash out with rain most of the day until about 4pm the sun shone briefly. In that time I donned coat, gloves, and hat and grabbed the camera and got to the estuary gardens to once again take the nest. The last of the gingko leaves have attached themselves to it. The extra was taken as I came back from a sprint down to the water to see what was there. It shows there are a few holes but no doubt a bird will come and pull that string out and use again next year. The string probably from the nearby Community Gardens. Not sure if it was a fantail that nested here as they hang around there now.

I was rewarded at the water by 2 pied stilts, 4 shoveller ducks, a rainbow AND a spoonbill in a place I have never seen one before. It was all on its own in a back estuary. I got all excited until I got closer thinking it was a kotuku. It flew soon after but no photos were good enough to post.

Home again in 40 minutes just as the rain fell once more.