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From our scientist, Hiltrun Ratz, PhD
scientist@penguins.org.nz |
Two of the four yellow-eyed penguins that were playing in the surf obviously had a disagreement when it was time to head back up the beach. They had a mini-fight in the shallow water and then got on with it and walked up the beach. There is a bit of that going on right now but what was it about?
These four yellow-eyed penguins had been running around in circles on the beach and then decided to go and have a play in the surf. Notice how one of them is a juvenile. They spent ages swimming backwards and forwards in the waves and among the rocks and eventually all came out again. It was so obvious how much they are at home in the sea - just beautiful to watch.
Our penguin spy camera on one of the landing areas has captured another resident in the colony: there are rather a lot of rabbits about and they seem to coexist with our yellow-eyed penguins just fine. It's the trees that are suffering from the rabbit presence. They get ring-barked and die unless we put protection around the base of the tree. Rabbits are really quite cute though.
There was a serious get-together on the rocks the other afternoon: seven yellow-eyed penguins sat and discussed the day's events? fishing? the weather? the latest gossip from the colony about who has been seen with whom? Who knows! But they sat and talked for ages!
It appears that our yellow-eyed penguins are having a ball in the evening on our beaches. Here is a video clip of some of the politics they seem to be pursuing on the beach - one penguin even had to do a runner and escape back into the surf - there were a couple others just arriving and they are off to have a play. |
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