Sunday 28th April 2024

going fishing

​Hello friends and family,
On Sunday Monica and I went to Anderson’s lagoon, looking for Spoonbills but only saw a couple in the distance. We checked out Shag Point on our way home. Monday was the day for farewells, and I dropped Monica off in Dunedin on my way to a meeting. Thank you, Monica, and happy travels.

Jonquils

​The team was joined by Mark on Tuesday, so we began the winter upgrade of nests down the hill. We are replacing the nest boxes that get particularly stinky when the chicks are being raised. We picked up the underweight moulter at nest 20 but it was Mrs 26 so that is a mystery. We then planted 20 trees at Okahau.

A sealion lurking in the flax

​I got a call on Wednesday from a DOC officer in Blenheim. They had found a fledgling Hoiho on their dog walking beach. They have never found one that far north before. It was Bruno. Bruno is a female that has had an interesting life already. She went to the Dunedin Wildlife hospital at 2 days old and failed to thrive. She stayed there for 15 days and when she came home, we fostered her into nest 80. 

Babies can sleep anywhere

15 days later, she was attacked by a predator and injured. She could not stand up and went back to the wildlife hospital for treatment. 17 days later, she was home again, put in rehab with other chicks and had issues around her posture. It took her 2 months to recover and feed from the hand, but she did, and so was released in good health on 18th February. You can watch her go to sea here. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWkk9Rn9Ofk&t=681s
2 months later she arrived in Blenheim weighing 3.8kg, so in need of a helping hand. She will go to Christchurch and then maybe back here.

A penguin pair trying out a different nest box for size.

More nest upgrade work was done by the team on Thursday and on Friday I planted another 10 trees as we had another 6mm of rain.
Have a great week!
Rosalie