Sunday 31st December 2023

Poster baby, photo from NZ Geographic. See link in last week's blog

​Sunday 31st December 2023
Hello friends and family,
Happy New Year
2023 brought with it some highs and some lows. As always, when working with awesome creatures they can surprise you. On Tuesday we weighed the nest 35 chicks and they had put on over 1Kg each (25%+). There are 3 adults feeding them. When Mrs 6 stopped coming home, we uplifted the 2 chicks that were failing to thrive and brought them into care. Mr 6 journeyed up the hill, past six other nests to nest 35. The occupants there had moved up the hill from nest 6 last season when they were his neighbours. There was blood! Somehow the 3 adults have come to an arrangement and the 2 chicks are thriving! We also have 2 males and 1 female attending nest 49 but they have been doing that all season. Their chick is making normal weight gains.

Poster baby 5 weeks later

​ Jan and Robbie did the monitoring round on Thursday while I went to Dunedin to pick up Dan. By evening he had sorted out my technical problems and I can now stream the internet onto my TV! On Friday we went to the Bluffs to install a mosquito trap and will put some out in these reserves.

Holiday madness

​I hold great hopes for 2024. That all 60 of our chicks survive and we have more nests in the new season. As the number of nests decline, our efforts increase. The team has stepped up this year, motivated by care for our environment, love of our penguins and joy in self-actualization. I am proud of the team and our results.

Southern Rata welcoming the New Year

Happy New Year
Rosalie