​Hello friends and family
The week got off to a quiet start, feeding and cleaning were the main tasks. On Monday I got a call out to a penguin at the Boulders. It was a starving Fiordland Crested and it had almost been forced back to sea by people taking photos of it, way too close. We had a new volunteer start on Tuesday – Tracey who has come out from Palmerston and did the rounds with us. We moved the penguin tent and were pleased to see that the occupants were very comfortable inside it – one even ran back to it when we arrived!

​On Wednesday I celebrated my 71st birthday by transferring 800 kg of fish to the freezers – happiness is lots of fish! The chicks in the soft release pen all fledged.

Thursday was the day for the big transfer of chicks to soft release. We took all the chicks that were old enough, and that came to 28. Robbie, Ann, Jules and I weighed, measured and carried them to the pens. The gender balance was even. The weights ranged from 5.7 Kg to 6.6 Kg. What a privilege it has been to work with them.
Thomas and Richard came up on Friday to put a tracker on the next Fiordland Crested penguin – called Okahau. You can follow the penguins here - http://www.tawaki-project.org/penguinrescue
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​I was saved big embarrassment when Jules identified the other penguin that was ready to go as a Snares Crested penguin. – We had 6 species at once! Elaine came and did the cleanout of the enclosures. The aviary is now empty of chicks and we gave it a deep clean, ready for adults or juveniles.

Yesterday it rained – proper rain in the morning so when Elaine came, we did the bloods in the hospital out of the weather. Stewart came with me to feed the chicks in soft release and just as we were on the way home, the sky cleared so I could hang all the wet gear outside.
Have a great week!
Rosalie
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​Hello friends and family
The disastrous start to the week finally righted itself when the salmon smolt arrived. We used over 180 Kgs of borrowed fish to tide us over and had run out when the truck arrived. I ordered more on Wednesday!

​By Wednesday we had 76 penguins in care; 48 Yellow-eyed penguin chicks, 13 Juveniles and 8 adults. They were kept company by 3 Fiordland Crested, 1 Erect Crested, a Little Penguin and 2 White Flippered penguins.

​On Thursday we began the great emigration. 11 chicks were taken to soft release. Their heads were measured, and we took 5 girls and 5 boys to soft release and one with a head measurement in the middle. These were the oldest chicks. They will stay there for a week being fed once a day; the door will be opened, and they will fledge off into the ocean for several months. What a milestone! It was a busy day. We had the Hui in the morning and then took blood from 5 penguins that Elaine tested. Jan and Anne did the trap rounds, catching 3 predators and rebaiting the traps at the Moeraki colony. They rescued 3 penguins, one with foot injuries and 2 with feather damage. 

​We did the rounds again on Saturday and found 3 large penguins that were left to moult in the wild and one underweight juvenile. The chicks have settled into the soft release pen and are easy to feed. (so far!) Our trial of the portable soft release pen has been a great success and so we will be able to put chicks in there next week. We do still have 76 penguins in care as the first crested has been released.

Have a great week!
Rosalie
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​Hello friend and family.
Monday was another red-letter day as we welcomed sponsorship from L J Hooker, Oamaru and an Erect Crested Penguin, a White-flippered fledgling and Amy from Kelly Tarlton’s in Auckland. Amy works with penguins at Kelly’s and has come down here in her holidays to work with wild penguins. She has much to share and we are so happy to have her helping us for this week.

​It was also special because we got a phone call from DOC in Dunedin offering help and support. Our decision to bring in the chicks was questioned which is exactly as it should be. We did not take the decision lightly and welcome debate. How else can we all learn! On Tuesday the trapped ferret count was up to 11. Case closed.

​The rest of the week was very busy, with 5 penguins coming in on Thursday and no fish delivery on Friday. I had waited 8 days already for more fish and had to ask Penguin Place, once again to help tide us over. Thank goodness for their support and generosity. They provided us with 150kg of penguin fish which will hopefully see us through until the salmon smooth arrives.

​Needless to say, by yesterday I was in a right tizzy! So much so, I managed to flood the house by leaving the tap on in the bath where I was trying to defrost fish – all the while a gale was blowing!
The team stepped up in great style and all penguins are fed and content. I will have to wear my crocs up the hall for a few days.

Have a great week!
Rosalie
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​Hello friends and family
Last Sunday was another glorious hot day and I took Daniel to the bus stop after lunch. He was a great help and left with the list of jobs back to a manageable size! On Monday morning Michelle and Charlie did their last feed before their holiday. They have been a great help, and fun as well. Anne joined our working bee on Tuesday, and we showed her the way we do beach searching and hope she will keep an eye on the Moeraki beaches.

​I went to town on Wednesday and noticed how dry North Otago was looking. On Wednesday night we got 7 mm of rain and I swear the place greened up a bit. It meant the penguins did not need a clean on Thursday morning so Jan, Robbie, Anne and I were able to get onto the rounds and then start on the upgrade of the soft release pens. We found 3 more trapped ferrets and picked up 3 underweight adult YEPs with feather damage.

​During the week we got the results of our last round of blood tests back and the Fiordland Crested penguin has a blood infection called Leucocytozoon. This is transmitted by sandflies. After consultation with Ralph, the international vet expert, we are trialling a course of Malarone which has had some success in parrots. Most Fiordland Crested penguins have this disease and it is only of concern when they are stressed by moulting or starvation – our penguin has both.

Monday was a red-letter day – not only Gavin’s birthday, but the day I signed up for a new house on the Hampden section. It means that I will have to do some work there to knock the section into shape. It will be a wonderful home and I will rent it out for the foreseeable future. I have been surprized at how quickly Genius Homes have got on with the job – the permit is already lodged with the Council and I can follow progress through an online app.
Elaine came out yesterday and we did the rounds, picking up a juvenile heading into the moult. He was rescued as a chick from the Catlins and has survived!
Have a great week!
Rosalie
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