Sunday 5th January 2020

Adjusting to their new home

​Hello friends and family
I wish you all the best for the next year and the next decade.
Onwards and upwards! This is the decade in which we save Yellow-eyed penguins (and other iconic New Zealand species) from the brink of extinction – one penguin at a time if necessary. 

The light is on at mid-day because of smoke from the Australian fires

​Last Sunday, with 2 chicks predated and 3 missing, we made the call to uplift all the rest and keep them safe from predation and Malaria until they fledge which will be early February. The youngest one is still being protected by its parents, so it is still in the colony. The decision was difficult, but once made, straight forward to implement. We have since been advised by a predator control expert and have caught 2 ferrets and Joe shot a cat. We have had reports of other predators in the colony so know that we made the best decision.

The Pohutukawa is magnificent

​Either Jan or Robbie have been coming for every feed, so it has been okay. By Wednesday the first of the chicks were feeding from the hand, and so they are settling as well as can be expected. Michelle and Charlie joined the feeding team on Friday so that spreads the load.

Waiting for help - this juvenile survived Malaria as a chick.

ON Saturday the team assembled to microchip the 48 penguin chicks and screen them for malaria. It took the whole day and I was the only one who left early as I picked Daniel up from the airport. What an achievement. Most of the chicks had put on about a kilogram so they are doing well.
Have a great week!
Rosalie
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