Pair bonding

It is getting closer to the start of the breeding season for the Yellow-eyed penguins and they are certainly starting to think about nests and eggs. Here is a pair that stayed home during the day forgoing a day's fishing to strengthen the pair bond. The sexes are difficult to tell apart for sure but often it will be the male that is on the nest trying to impress his lady by showing her how well he would sit on the eggs and what good a father he would make. When the female is on the nest she will be trying it out for size and softness and then the male is often seen wandering about finding nesting material that he brings her. Both build the nest itself and both try it out before the eggs arrive in mid September.