Sunday 9th September 2018

What do you mean - the little houses are the penguin houses?

​Hello friends and family
The week began quietly. With a stormy forecast, I took the planting gear to the Moeraki colony on Sunday which meant that I could walk there to check the live traps and plant 6 Cabbage trees each day from then on. On Monday I planted a new penguin house and by Tuesday it was occupied! This was not all that random – there was penguin poo in a small valley, so I expected a homeless penguin – problem solved!

Jan planting Cabbage trees!

​On Tuesday I saw the first lambs on the farm for the season. They looked great and so did their mum. Some of the pregnant sheep are as wide as they are high. By Thursday someone had taken a lamb from its mother and put it in the paddock next to Patrick’s sheep. Only a townee would do such a cruel thing.

wild and dirty seas during the week.

​On Wednesday I put the Varroa strips into the beehives. While I was doing the very last one, a bee stung me on the end of my nose. It is a while since I have been stung and my face swelled up on one side but by morning it did not hurt anymore. Robbie came on Thursday and cut 50 tree protectors and we planted 18 trees in less than an hour – I think we have the process sussed by now!

This year we will use this box

​Elaine came on Friday and we saw Malaria plasmodium in penguin blood for the first time – thanks to lots of awesome experts, so willing to share their expertise!
 

The first lambs on the farm

Chris and Hiltrun came up on Friday evening and yesterday we all worked on trees in the paddocks to let the penguins get on with their important preparations for breeding.
Have a great week!
Rosalie
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