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From our scientist, Hiltrun Ratz, PhD
scientist@penguins.org.nz |
This wee boy has also dropped all his down and looks like a real penguin now. Our last sighting was on 12 February, a few days prior he weighed 6.3kg - phew, that's heavy and fantastic accomplishment for his parents Spencer and Penelope, both first time breeders. Good luck, wee boy!
This chick did not reveal his/her sex - the head size was borderline and it could go either way - and some females definitely have male-sized heads. So for now we don't know but that's ok. We last saw this chick on 20 February. Good luck, wee chick!
is definitely a boy, his head was already 145mm and he wasn't fully grown then. He was last sighted on 26 February. Every time we saw him he was superbusy preening and readying his feathers for the big trip to sea. Then it was time, and one day he was gone. Good luck, wee boy!
These two girls have dropped their last brown downy feathers, put on decent weight and are ready to fledge - which they did. Our last record is from 12 February. They have an excellent starting position from which to learn how to catch fish - so, good luck, girls, go and find those fish out there!
We finally found him. Poor boy, he was abandoned by Jackson for Hazel, sat faithfully on his dummy egg for weeks and then disappeared. We weren't that worried, it is a normal pattern, but we were delighted when he showed up again ready to moult. He didn't go far and we got him again all finished and gorgeous. Maybe, just maybe there may be a girl (or boy?) in his future and he gets to put his excellent parenting skills to use again next season.
It is a hit-and-miss with the naming of the chicks: turns out Sebastian is a girl, oh well. This is our last photo of her hiding rather effectively in the bushes. A few days later she was gone (18 February was the last record). Good luck, wee girl!
It turns out both are likely to be females and they did not fledge together. Lexie was first and was last seen on 22 February and Roxy was last seen on 26 February. She kept her neighbour company, Bequette's chick called Bob for a while and then they left as well. Good luck, girls!
There appeared to be absolutely nothing wrong with Jackson and Hazel's chick but the bloods don't lie and it has to come into rehab to have its Malaria treated. It weighed 6.7kg and as soon as it was in the clear, we could let it go. It was never that happy in rehab and just wanted to get out of there and go fishing! It got its wish - so good luck buddy!
This is one of our chicks from last season. He was raised by Jackson and now-sponsored Freddie, a two-male pair that adopted Charlie and Casey who both turned out to be boys as well: it was a family of boys! Charlie has done very well as he is super fat for his first moult!
Vivek, the mother, is always the last one to lay the eggs in the colony so her chick is one of the last ones to leave. Fluffy was undecided whether boy or girl, time will tell. We saw Fluffy last on 26 February down by the foreshore checking out the beach. It was almost time to go. Good luck, wee one!
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