Going about his pre Christmas ablutions

My birthday treat to myself was to go early to the estuary and see the spoonbills. Not there today but everything else was. Pied stilts flew at me as they are nesting. Ducks, swans, seagulls, welcome swallows all feeding or having a bath.
The white faced heron took the blip of the day as he went about preening and making sure he was ready for tomorrow.
It has been a busy day with visitors from Wellington arriving, relations calling by, txts and emails and phone calls and that was before lunch which we had at Jester House. Top Cafe for 2016 for the South Island.
Home for a nap and then a quiet night- I hope.