Sunday 7th October 2018

Waiting, waiting, waiting...

​Hello friends and family
This week the last of our expected penguin eggs were laid and now the colonies are very quiet as the eggs are incubated – mostly by snoozing on them! Robbie came on Tuesday and we mosquito proofed the rehab centre – next on the list is the soft release pens.
Wednesday was my turn at the Top-tip shop – the months go by so quickly! 

Clematis blooming in the reserve

​On Thursday, Jan, Robbie and I did the monitoring round and found the penguins to be quite settled except in Tickle Bay which was criss-crossed with penguin footprints! Robbie brought out his trailer and has begun work on the soft release pens. These need to be upgraded to protect the penguins from mosquitoes.

Gathering gulls

​The weather forecasters keep promising us rain which does not eventuate, so we just make our plans for fine weather and only got wet once this week! This week, for the first time, visitors reported not seeing any seals when they walked down to the point. It would be sad indeed if they succumbed to constant harassment and chose to live somewhere else.

Glorious Kowhai

​Yesterday Hiltrun and I did the rounds in beautiful sunshine and admired the red-billed gulls that are beginning to nest on the headland. Today I am checking the ponds for mosquitoes wrigglers and treating any standing water that is infected.

distant reflections

Have a great week!
Rosalie
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