Sunday 10th September 2023

In a hurry to get home to the nest

​Hello friends and family.
We have had a great beginning to spring here with clear skies, warm temperatures and not a lot of wind. It is getting too dry to plant out, so I am hoping for a wet spell soon, so we can get on with it and the penguins are chased into boxes to keep their nests dry.

Kowhais are in full bloom

​We were joined by Jim and Gabe from DOC Dunedin on Monday to show them our setup and share our concerns for the penguins going forward. My concerns for the missing Spotted Shags were repeated – we still have none.

We still get surprises

​Jan joined me on Thursday when we started nest checking. Eggs are due any day now and we want to record the dates as accurately as possible. Hiltrun continued the good work on Saturday while Elaine and I went to the Hampden Beach cleanup. The beach was pretty good, so it took an hour to get a bag full of rubbish.

Waiting for the wife

​Everything this week was in the shadow of the recent death of my sister-in-law, Shirley Burgess. She was an outgoing, caring person who made the world a better place. Farewell Shirley.

Clematis blooming in the garden

Have a great week!
Rosalie