Hello friends and family I have recovered from COVID and on Tuesday morning had a clear RAT test. Getting back to a normal routine has been made pleasant by nice weather to start the week. On Tuesday, the big downer was that we found Mrs 168 dead in her nest. Her blood showed a high white blood cell count indicating an infection She has gone off for an autopsy. In the afternoon, we went to Kawariki and removed boxthorn. Even that work was pleasant because of the glorious day. On Wednesday morning I went to Oamaru and had some sunspots frozen off my nose, and then I was off to the Sthil shop to buy an electric pruning saw. At last, a saw that can fit in the backpack and be there when I see branches that must go. All the trees are trembling! We did the rounds on Thursday morning and repaired the internal fence down here in the reserve. The penguins had found a way through it, so we moved it to stop them getting too close to people. Hiltrun came up yesterday and I walked the coast. Have a great week!
Rosalie Hello friends and family, We all know what they say about the best laid plans – I never got to the WReNNZ conference in Auckland – I got COVID instead. I suspect I caught it at the Oamaru penguin symposium and tested positive on the following Tuesday. I am surrounded by caring people so by Wednesday I had started the antivirals and by Friday was feeling much better. Hiltrun came up on Saturday and rescued Flipper bird, leaving only one breeding female missing from the Moeraki colony. She also brought up our young penguin from the Dunedin Wildlife hospital. We are very grateful for their fine care of our penguins that need extra help. We are also very grateful for all our sponsorship, and it was a buzz to get support from Geistlich Pharma, Australia, as it was unexpected. I was out of isolation by Tuesday, so Jan, Murray and Bronwyn joined me for the rounds. We had rain so it was a wet adventure but all quiet on the penguin front. Jan and I did a repeat on Thursday. Friday was the end of season meeting at DOC in Dunedin. Jan and I went down and kept to the script which is always a good thing. After the meeting we went to the organic shop for lunch and then did the errands and I was home by 3pm. Yesterday Hiltrun came up and we did the rounds – no needy penguins, but Murray found one at the Bluffs which is now in the Dunedin Wildlife hospital with an eye injury. We released Mrs 121 so are now down to 7 Hoiho in care plus one little penguin. Have a great week!
Rosalie Hello friends and family This week was dominated by the penguin symposium on Oamaru. We did the rounds on Tuesday and found no needy penguins. In the afternoon, Thomas and Kristina delivered 2 failed fledglings for soft release and in discussions with them, I realised that I was whining a lot which is never going to be helpful, so I decided to stop. I’m glad I did because it enhanced my appreciation of all the excellent work being done for penguins around the country and the world, by good people as revealed at the symposium. The use of technology was inspiring. The dinner was excellent, and it was great to see the little penguins coming home at Oamaru. We did the rounds on Friday and Saturday, but there was no sign of our missing penguins. We have done weeding down the hill on each visit and hope to have the problem solved in a few weeks. The grass growth has been like it usually is in springtime. The mower man flicked up a stone that went straight through my office window. I will get it sorted out sometime soon. In the meantime, I have patched it up.
Have a great week! Rosalie |
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October 2024
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