Hello friends and family It had to happen, on Monday we had our first chick death. A pipping egg was predated at the nest of the new parents down the hill here. We put out a trap straight away. Then on Tuesday, a chick was dead in nest K4. This is a pattern that we have seen before – everything is great until it’s not. Wednesday was my day for round 4 of surgery to my face. Elaine came down to Dunedin and went shopping while I waited and eventually, at about 3pm, I was ready to come home. No chicks to pick up again on Thursday, so Robbie and I did the rounds while the rest of the team had a day off. On Friday, Tobi and I went down to the Wildlife hospital to take down 2 chicks and while we were on the road, the team found one of the previously returned chicks was gasping. I met Jan halfway and returned it to the Wildlife hospital. By this time, both us and the penguins sitting on dummy eggs were getting stressed by the low number of chicks returning from the hospital. This was put to rights a little, when 9 came back on Saturday. Eight of these chicks will need daily ointment for a while, but it is a relief all round to have them back. Today there is one chick to pick up from the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital and it will go to the Bluffs. We have 2 new volunteers joining the team so it will be a busy day.
Have a great week! Rosalie |
Archives
January 2025
|