I didn't visit until after 4 today and I wasn't expecting to see the birds at the nest. So much for my theory that they don't get involved in nest building in the latter part of the day. I could see both birds just sitting quietly on the rocks in front of the nest, the first time that I have observed them just sitting. It was interesting to see such a dramatic change of mood around the nest. It was quiet and calm. I managed to squeeze in to the hide by sliding feet first on my back and without showing a profile above the bank. I was pleased to see that they were not in the slightest bit disturbed by my arrival, they hadn't seen me and were completely unaware of my presence. This meant that I could start recording their behaviour immediately. There wasn't a great deal to record but that in itself became the thing of note. Interestingly both birds swopped over in the usual way but the dramatic difference today was that they didn't always carry nesting material with them when they came and went. Once inside the nest I could hardly see the birds because the external structure is now a complete ball with just a smallish entrance hole. There was a definite calming of intensity with birds carrying material to the nest but not in the frantic way of previous days. The nest seems to be nearing completion now and it's going to be interesting to see for how long they continue adding the final touches. As I watched one of the pair in the nest I couldn't help admire the perfection of it. When I built the hide opposite I had disguised it with leaves and moss, hoping that it would be undiscovered. The Dippers had done exactly the same thing, building a camouflaged nest disguised with moss and leaves, albeit instinctively but in a way, the end result was the same. Because of that, I felt some kind of real connection with the birds today. It's going to be difficult to assess the commencement of egg laying. I will not want to cause any disturbance whatsoever so I will not be investigating the nest. I am developing a real fondness for this pair of birds that have given me so much pleasure already and I feel a real sense of responsibility for their welfare.