​Hello friends and family
Another wonderful week in paradise. The penguins are starting to stay home and prepare their nests for the arrival of new eggs in about 4 weeks’ time. On Sunday and Monday, I caught up on the mundane household tasks which were only relieved by a “Bon Voyage” lunch with Marian.

​Jan and Robbie came out on Tuesday and we checked and re-baited all the traps and met up with Ross, the farm manager to discuss management of sheep and ponds. He is planning the work for a large digger to come in and remove most of the risky water to reduce the mosquito population and ultimately, the risk of Avian Malaria wiping out the penguins. We also planted 42 cabbage trees and found our first mosquito larvae. Fortunately, they were dead – probably because of Sunday’s frost, but a signal that management of standing water has to start now.

​ON Friday the team headed south, and we visited the Dunedin Wildlife hospital, Penguin Place and Chris and Hiltrun’s place. The Wildlife hospital is set up very well, a large open space for working in and quiet wards for the patients. Lisa has state of the art equipment and is achieving impressive results for our wildlife. Penguin Place has flourished since I was last there, the trees have matured, and the place looks fantastic – ideal penguin habitat. We met the ducks and geese at Chris and Hiltrun’s place and checked out the 100s of trees waiting in the nursery for us to plant out when they are big enough.

​My truck got the once over while we were in Dunedin and it needs serious repairs – never mind, a safe vehicle is a priority.

Have a great week!
Rosalie
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​Hello friends and family
This has been another action-packed week! On Sunday I made a miserable attempt to tidy up the last tall hedge and was very pleased when Jan came on Monday, so I did not have to do any more of it! On Monday we found 27 active Little Penguin nests on the Island and some had 2 eggs. We also saw sign of up to 8 Yellow-eyed penguins roosting north of the reserve, so we have hope for expansion there.

​Robbie came on Tuesday and we did more tidying up work and planted another 18 trees. Hiltrun arrived in the evening to be here for the Hui on Wednesday. The Hui was in two parts – first we showed the group around the Wildlife reserve where the penguins live, and Ngai Tahu now manage, and then we met at the Moeraki Boulders Café as there was another group at the Marae. I came away from the Hui with a glimmer of hope for the future of the penguins.

​Jan and Robbie came on Thursday and we planted 32 plants and killed a gorse clump. It rained on Friday, so I had a quiet day. Jan and Hiltrun worked all day on Saturday so by 4 pm I was happy to relax.

Have a great week!
Rosalie
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​Hello friends and family
The days are rushing by and the list of jobs is being ticked off. On Sunday and Monday, I cut the back hedge and on Tuesday we did the final tidy up of the nest boxes as this will be our last weekend working in the reserves before we back away and let the penguins prepare for the new season. This means that we can focus on jobs in the hospital and fields.

​I went to the Top-tip for my monthly turn on Wednesday and was very pleased that it had warmed up a bit. On the way home, I picked up 5 trays of wee trees from Linda – Thank you – and 100 more tree protectors.

Thursday was a beautiful day and Jan, Robbie and I visited most of the other North Otago penguin areas. At Shag Point the bird call was delightful – a tribute I think to the trapping that our team does there. Roger and Raylene visited with family in the afternoon. 

​Elaine called in on Friday with 2 office chairs to make using the microscope more comfortable and with news of the great team at Otago University who are supporting our Malaria efforts. Hiltrun arrived and we were joined by Patrick and Jan for Saturday’s working bee. Robbie and Barb came to visit later in the day, so I am having a great social time!

Have a great week!
Rosalie
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​Hello friends and family
I had a quiet start to the week – walking the coast and checking for penguin sign on Sunday and then to Oamaru on Monday to pick up some tree protectors.

​Jan and Robbie came on Tuesday and we spent the morning trimming trees in the reserve and in the afternoon walked the coast to check for standing water and plan how we are going to manage the mosquito larvae when they arrive. We found penguin sign at 4 new nest boxes which was so great and then admired the Spotted Shag nests built in places that they have avoided for the last few seasons. It was very enjoyable.

​Wednesday was a quiet one and then on Thursday Jan, Robbie and I planted trees at the Moeraki colony firstly down a cliff and then in the paddock. Jan and I went to the island in the afternoon and saw lots of little penguin pairs at home and did some repairs to a flooded tunnel.

Yesterday was the annual penguin symposium at Otago University. The programme began with a representative from the new Yellow-eyed Penguin recovery group.  He outlined the two – tiered management structure that they have now put in place – a governing body and a technical group. Most of these people are new to the YEP world. The workers are called “stake holders”. I would have thought that every New Zealander was a stake holder – actually every person on the planet!
Hiltrun presented our annual report very professionally.
In the afternoon a student presented a paper that had number crunched the penguin data base and it shows that all the Yellow-eyed penguins from Stewart Island north are going extinct this century except for the ones here on the Moeraki Peninsula. We are holding our own. Validation but not celebration!
Have a great week!
Rosalie
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