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Hello friends and family This has been a week with a difference! First of all, I went to town on Tuesday to apply for the resource consent for my shed. Robbie the builder has pegged it out, and really it is not huge. I picked up some topsoil for Elaine from Oamaru – the joys of a small truck!  Stitches stayed for a few days and got fed some fish. That evening I went to the Hampden Rural Women’s soup and desert evening in the Hampden Hall. There were lots of women there and the guest speaker was a local who had done volunteer disaster relief medical work in Vanuatu. What an inspiration. I also won the raffle.  A pamper pack raffle! Wednesday was my day to do admin for the resource consent. It was a very cold day and the frost stayed on the ground all day. The ice on the ponds was so thick it was hard to break. What a beautiful clear sunny day we got as compensation.  Catching the morning sun. On Thursday I fed the penguins and then was off to Dunedin to spend the night at Chris and Hiltrun’s place. In the morning we loaded the camper with trees and, after a couple of appointments and a visit to Richard, I took the trees to Barracouta Bay as that is where we will be planting them.  Getting ready to go fishing in the morning. There in the bush was an adult penguin with an infected foot injury. This is a big concern as the bird needed to come into care, and normally at this time of the year, we don’t have any patients. We had thought that the spate of penguin injuries was well over – not so. I will keep checking the area every second day for a bit longer!  Winter views from the section at Hampden. Have a great week.
Rosalie Hello friends and family  A very thin chick that found its way home for help. After 2 days of hard graft with Chris and Hiltrun, I was tired so had a quiet Tuesday. Wednesday was my day to volunteer at the local resource recovery park, and the day Robbie the builder turned up at the section to begin the build of the shed. It is not going to be a smooth process! The pad is a bit close to the boundary – oh dear! I am going to have to apply for a resource consent.  This is my spot! Notice how dry it still is. I have a new fashion this winter – fingerless gloves. They let me use my cell phone and other touch devices, yet keep my hands warm. I tried full finger gloves at the Top Tip shop but soon found that I was having to take them off too often – back to the fingerless ones. Who would have guessed?  The snow out the kitchen window. It stayed for a few days. Thursday was town day and a very cold one. As it was raining I thought town would be empty – wrong! I think that half the farmers were in town because it was too wet and cold to work outside. The worst of the weather passed us by. I got some all-terrain tyres fitted onto my truck so that I can drive over wet grass to Barracouta Bay. We have much to do there – planting trees included.  Stitches poses for a photo. There are no penguins at home during the day except for hospital birds! This week I got in a new penguin and released another – still 5 in care. They are all doing well, but it takes time to come back from only half body weight to prime condition.  Hazelnut catkins in the garden. It is the shortest day! The only thing of interest in the garden are these Hazelnut catkins – let’s hope for a great crop next year.
Have a great week! Hello friends and family.  3 penguins at home in Sir Ed's bay Time is flying by and with only one week to the shortest day, we have a long list of jobs still to be done by spring. Currently we are working to optimise the penguin habitat. After 30 years of random growth, some trees are smothering others and the biggest offender is Tasmanian Ngaio. This introduced species is to be admired for its ability to survive harsh conditions and smother other trees. It grows very tall and then, in high winds, breaks and falls over the neighbours – only half of the stem cracks and so it is able to regrow with a bigger circle of light. We are uncovering many native tree species but it involves a lot of tree climbing, cutting, carrying and stacking. The increase in sunlight makes ideal penguin habitat and saves native trees as well. There is also mowing, fencing and nestbox placing to be done.  Shag point from Katiki Beach Now is the best time of the year for all of this activity because it is when the penguins spend most of their time at sea, so there is no bird at home to be disturbed by our work. By the end of our 2 days each week I am exhausted and spend Tuesdays pottering about cutting wire hooks and making circles to protect trees.  Another blurry penguin - taken at 5:30 - too dark! On Tuesday I also finally got to Hampden to pick the last of the apple crop. I also got my first taste of Himalayan strawberries off the tree so that was a treat! The building permit for the shed has been approved and the first load of framing has arrived from the timber supplier.  The truck viewed from the gate The weather forecast has been dire, but we only ended up with winter weather arriving on Friday afternoon - a good time to be inside away from the icy winds. One good thing about working in the forest today is that we will be protected from the wind.  The truck viewed from the house site Have a great week!
Hello friends and family  One of the few penguins to come home in the storm - looking good! On Tuesday I started up the camper - first time this year and it went! The plan was to go to Hampden and pick the last of the apples, but when I got there the road was closed because of an accident so I came home.  A Stewart Island Shag that was hanging out with the seals. Road closed - few tourists so I ventured down the hill. As I came home I chose the Maori path and as I was passing the hang out spot of the nest 38 pair there was a skinny penguin so I picked it up and brought it home.  Just home - pink feet cooling down and a big stretch! It is Stitches! 3.2Kg, needing a helping hand but otherwise FABULOUS! This bird was the second self-admission this week. Wednesday was the first rainy day in a long time so I tackled the hot water cupboard and the linen cupboard. I do hang on to stuff so a sort out was in order.  The reef was dancing. The sun came out again on Thursday so after the weekly shop I headed off to check the beaches for stranded penguins – none to be seen which is great.  Two of our starving Juveniles - the one in the front has been here a week longer than the rear penguin The vet came on Friday morning to check out our 4 penguin in care. The Oamaru veterinary centre has given us great support and guidance this season – thank you all so much!
Yesterday we go in another penguin. Have a great week! |
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September 2024
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