16 April 2017

The old couple - one pre-moult, the other post-moult

​Hello friends and family – happy Easter
On 17th May 2011, I wrote to DOC offering to manage the Shag Point penguin area for the penguins as I was dropping my work hours from 4 days a week to 3 and felt that we could make a useful contribution to conservation there. This week, we finally signed a permit to do predator control there. This is thanks to tireless work by our trustee Elaine Burgess who was prepared to jump through all the hoops and as soon as DOC have removed the pigs and repaired the fence we can start making the place safe again. We have traps ready to go!

The Little penguin has almost doubled his body weight

​On Monday I went to the skin specialist in Dunedin and took the opportunity to buy a house lot of paint so as soon as the weather is OK I can start painting. In the meantime, as it has been very wet, I have painted the inside of the new windows.

Nature's necklace - sheep on the cliffs

​On Tuesday, Maheno School visited and Wednesday was my Oamaru day. On Thursday one of the Yellow-eyed penguins in care died for no known reason and then on Friday, the rock Hopper was dead. We always try to save them all. Sometimes they come in with major organ damage from starvation. For a few days, they do just fine and then they start vomiting. Sometimes antibiotics do the trick, but not always. I hate it when any of them die and 2 in a row is tragic.

Tiny seal pup, waiting for mum

Things picked up on Friday at lunchtime when grandson Hamish arrived from Christchurch. We got the garage sorted in the afternoon so that I can now shut the door with the truck inside. We had to find inside jobs because it was still raining. We got about 70mm over the 4 days.

Basket fungus growing in the reserve

On Saturday, we relaxed and enjoyed a mild sunny day – still very wet underfoot!
Have a great week!
Rosalie
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