Mud-dauber

I thought these Yellow-legged Mud-dauber Wasps packed together the mud they use to build their nests. Like making a mudpie! But after observing three of them at this mud slick…

…it looks like they actually carve a mud-marble in the mud mass with their front feet while they grasp it with their jaws.

And they do it quickly. These last four photos cover 6 seconds.

Two days later, after a good steady rain, this mud patch was completely submerged by the engorged pond.