 enjoying the sun Hello friends and family More great weather has made this busy week a pleasure! On Monday, 4 of us went to visit our local MP – Miles Anderson. We were seeking support for the satellite tagging of our fledglings next season. All we can commit is $10, 000 which will buy 4 of them. This is the next step in turning the population decline around – finding out where and when our fledglings are going and dying, gives us more information to stop it happening. We came away from the meeting optimistic that we had been heard.  The Clematis is in bud There were different penguins home on Tuesday, new nest boxes with signs of penguin visits. The freezer man came and completed the repair of the walk-in freezer, and I emptied the small freezer into it. Only the big chest freezer was left to empty.  What missing teeth? Wednesday was my day to get a tooth sorted out. This meant going to Oamaru for the day and getting the replacement tooth mounted on my partial plate. While this was happening, I had to get around with no front teeth! Late afternoon, I called in to see Jan on my way to the dentist in Palmerston, where the tooth was extracted, the rest of my teeth were water blasted, and I came home with a hole in my wallet to dinner of stewed apples and ice-cream!  The gulls return is not quiet Robbie and Bronwyn came out on Thursday morning and we did the rounds, enjoying the penguins calling and seeing the red-billed gulls roosting in their breeding area for the first time this season.  Who is watching who? Because we have had a dry August, some nest site choices are bad. Hopefully it rains before the females choose where to lay their eggs, so they can choose somewhere dry.  Under a bush, beside the path will not hold 2 active chicks Have a great week! Rosalie   the battles for a wife begin Hello friends and family We began the week with nice weather, but it got cold overnight on Monday. We ended up with only 5mm of rain here and the snow melted very quickly on the hills.  The evidence On Tuesday morning we did the rounds and found more penguins at home. There were 4 occupied boxes in both colonies. We were very pleased to see Flipper bird, the tip missing off his left flipper, busy claiming a box. He missed out on a wife last season, so I hope he has better luck this year.  Katiki Flipper bird The webcam is now back in operation. We have lifted the gear off the ground, sealed it in a weatherproof box and cleaned the solar panels. Robbie now has an app on his phone to reveal the system ‘s efficiency, so hopefully it won’t go offline again. It is very reassuring to see the penguins come and go in such good condition!  checking me out On Thursday, we were joined by Bronwyn and Elaine who checked the north end of Katiki Point and found a juvenile at home.  We are innocent! Once again, there were boxes occupied in both colonies. Robbie installed the last new automatic trap, and we are hoping it leads to a kinder life end for the ferrets in the area.  The nest is built - rest time On Friday, I took Jan and Barbara down to Dunedin for the morning. We had lunch at the Ironic Café and then picked up some groceries and headed home. The morning started at 7 degrees and warmed up nicely in the sun.  Dunedin's Kereru basking in the sun Yesterday was another glorious day with even more penguins at home. Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors; Ikana, H and R Perkins, and Moeraki Runanga, we can welcome them home, knowing that we have funds to take care of them.  I call this a Boofer bird Have a great week! Rosalie  Noel in his house Hello friends and family Thank you so much for your generous response to my begging for money. It just lifted the team’s spirits no end.  Hebes in the garden The much-improved weather has also lifted our spirits – sunshine and spring buds are a great combination.  glorious winter light On Tuesday we found Noel at home. He lives at the south end of Okahau and he is the last surviving penguin from Shag Point. He had a wife for several years, but she was badly injured and did not return last season. He is still hopeful!  early Kowhai On Wednesday I went to the dentist. It has been a long time because with all that surgery on my face last year, the dentist did not get on the list. Anyhow, I need an extraction and that will happen in 2 weeks’ time.  How many tracks can you see? On Thursday Robbie and Murray repaired the electronics for the live cam. They got stuck in the middle, but Gavin talked us through the impasse, and the camera is now connected, but not working yet! Bronwyn and I did the rounds and there were no penguins at home.  Home on Saturday The glorious weather continued and even the lawns have been mowed. Have a great week! Rosalie  At home, looking fabulous Hello friends and family The week began very cold. The frost in the shade stayed all day. It is starting to get lighter in the mornings and is now still light at 5pm. Most days, at least one penguin stays home to build their nest. I have been doing the tree planting in the early afternoon to avoid the worst of the cold.  Finding the right twig for nest building The team came out on Tuesday, and it was good to discuss the Symposium and catch up on anything missed.  A lot more Spotted shags have arrived to breed Wednesday was my morning at the Toptip. It was cold and grey. I expected it to be quiet, but we had a steady stream of customers all morning. I then headed into Oamaru to do the shopping and collect a new vacuum cleaner and electric jug.  Kakabeak thriving in the open The cold continued. We did the rounds on Thursday and visited Jan. I spent Friday close to home because it got even colder! Imagine – not going over 8 degrees C all day! Yesterday I dodged the showers and did the rounds. No penguins home!  Cold that you can see Have a great week! Rosalie  The first visit back to the nest this season Hello friends and family This week started off a little differently, with me house sitting for Jan for 2 nights. She has a new kitten, so I stayed over, enjoyed the spa pool and the view of home. I came home during the day to plant trees!  My place from Jans Robbie came out on Tuesday morning and Cathy, from the QE2 Trust came out in the afternoon. Murray was back from snowboarding by Thursday, and we did the rounds.  Penguins coming home. Yesterday was the annual, Yellow-eyed Penguin symposium. The event was different this year. All the season data was shared prior to the meeting so the purpose of the gathering was to progress the information.  Spring is in the air It was held in the Otago museum, which was a nice enough venue, but the sound was difficult. It is always inspiring to be surrounded by penguin heroes. There were missing faces and new ones stepping up to the challenge. The two unresolved issues were the threat of extinction and under resourcing. There was no shortage of ideas to move our combined conservation efforts forward. There is hope that the recognition of the sub-species status of Hoiho will enable more resourcing. Even with the 3 sub-species combined, it is unlikely that there are more than 2000 left.  Checking out the locals This morning, we got a donation of $50 from Sylvia who is 6 years old. She raised the money by selling lemonade. Thank you, Sylvia! Have a great week! Rosalie |
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