This is freshly sponsored chick called Danielle and she is Stitches daughter - or son (we really can't tell at that age). She is the centre of her parents world right now and occupies that by herself because unfortunately her sibling died. We had treated him/her successfully for Diphtheria and s/he died after completion of the treatment, possibly due to a lung infection. So here we have Danielle, she has made it and is growing every day.

He moved with his mate into the box named after another lighthouse on the other side of the Earth, Westerheversand. Last season they did well and had two chicks, but this season unfortunately it did not go their way. While both eggs hatched and we saw them safely through Diphtheria with antibiotics, one day they were still dead. It is in the way of nature and we suspect the lung disease again as they were clear of Diphtheria. So Otto and his mate are taking the summer off. They will have to try again next year.

This pair has stayed in the same box as last year and a fine one it is: Penny Box 4. They are again raising one chick, the other egg unfortunately did not hatch. This is not a bad thing as they are both still quite young and relatively inexperienced. While they raised one chick last year we did have to take it away because of the threat of predators. So they never "finished the job" so to speak, so this year hopefully they get to fledge this gorgeous fluff ball all by themselves.

This experienced female is mated to Odd Simen - who some of you know if you have been following our penguins for a while. His mate is now also sponsored and so is their nest box now called Lacenest. Butterbell laid two fertile eggs and both hatched on time but unfortunately one chick succumbed not to Diphtheria - we treated it for that - but to pneumonia-type illness. We have seen it in previous years that chicks cleared of Diphtheria still die - it's a lung disease and we are unable to diagnose and treat it as the chicks appear fine one day and are dead the next. So this year Odd Simen and Butterbell can pour all their considerable breeding experience into this one lucky chick.

It does not always go to plan. The freshly sponsored female called Hazel in this freshly sponsored box by the Harris Family had laid two eggs and one was deemed fertile. Alas, it was due to hatch on 7 November and has not done so. Hope is fading for them to raise a chick despite them sitting faithfully on their eggs. Eventually they will give up and take the rest of the summer off. It was a good practice run for them and hopefully they will do better next year.

This is the one pair in our colony that has natural site and it is occupied by a special young lady called Honeydrop. She has picked a young mate with exquisite flax taste and together they made a gorgeous fluff ball. It is getting bigger day by day and these first-time parents are doing a fab job.

At Uncle Chang's box we had it all laid out: Anna was home with the kids and they were awake - well one - and well sort of. Then the sun came out and was shining on Anna's face making it blotchy and the kid was pulling faces behind his mother's back. You know what they say - kids and animals - and if you combine them you get less than perfect photos! Tells a story though!

These two started out great with two eggs that we thought were fertile - alas only one hatched. So they are now raising their single chick tucking it safely away in the back of their nest.

We weigh our chicks regularly to make sure they are putting on weight - and some of them have already outgrown our wee weigh bag.....our amazing seamstress is busy making bigger ones to keep up with the chicks. How priceless is this photo??

This young female bred for the first time last year as a two-year old and had two chicks. She was unlucky and lost her mate (to Malaria), but was not idle through winter and found herself a handsome young male. They are raising a couple of chicks and one of them had to be saved twice already: it decided to hatch on a hot dry day and got stuck in the egg - we gave a wee helping hand and all was well - and then it got a bone stuck in its throat - again fortunately we were on hand to remove it. Both have had Diphtheria and got their antibiotics - and hopefully it is now full steam ahead growing up! Phew - they are inventive in their ways of getting into trouble!!