Sunday 16th August 2015.

Just hanging around...

Hello friends and family
This is the last weekend that we can be doing habitat work in the colonies. Now we must walk away and leave the penguins in peace to get on with site selection, nest building and, in a month, egg laying will start. It is a time of anxiety for me as I await that most important of numbers – how many nests do we have. I won’t be able to answer this question until mid-October as egg laying can be spread out over a month or more.

In breeding finery!

On Tuesday my electric bike arrived and so while the camper was getting its warrant of fitness in Oamaru on Wednesday, I cycled around Oamaru to get used to it before I switched the power on. It came with the battery bracket mounted back to front, so I got the mechanic to fix that and tested the battery out when I got home. I just love it! I will be able to ride out of here without having to walk up the hills so the trip will be faster. The bike folds up so it will fit in the camper and can be used when I am on holiday.

A plump juvenile.

During the week I downloaded windows 10 – it was the free update and I think life will be easier if I keep up to date with windows as it develops. The initial changeover seemed to go without a hitch, but I keep losing things like photos and printers. The new photo organiser has its own agenda that I have yet to learn!

And then there were 6.

The builder has done some more work on the shed. Even he said that he knows the place to come after an earthquake – that shed is well spec’d for a hillside!

The shed framing.

Now we wait for the building inspector and then the second half of the kitset will be delivered.

There is still no sign of penguins getting ready to nest. The Little penguins set off a chorus yesterday morning so maybe they will beat the Yellow-eyed ones to nest.

Pebble Bay landing.

Have a great week!

Rosalie.