 Dan and I rescued this juvenile on Tuesday evening This week began away from home and ended back at the lighthouse at Moeraki, with the familiar rhythm of sanctuary life waiting at the end of the journey. After time in Papamoa house-sitting for family, it was time to return south, flying from Tauranga to Christchurch before making the final leg back towards North Otago, on the bus.  mischief in triplicate! Pauline kindly picked me up from Christchurch airport, and we had time for breakfast together before I joined her at the vet clinic. Later, Dan met me in Oamaru, and we went out for dinner before heading home to the lighthouse. It is always good to come back, even when the week ahead is already shaping up to be a busy one.  Another glorious sunset There was also time for our regular community routine at the Resource Recovery Centre on Wednesday morning, helping to give pre-loved items a second life. It is a lovely contrast to the sanctuary work: practical, local, and full of small reminders that conservation is not only about wildlife, but also about how we value and reuse what we already have.  The camera is down at the moment, but the penguins are keeping their routine By midweek, however, our attention shifted sharply. On Wednesday afternoon, the news came through that highly pathogenic avian influenza had been found in New Zealand. For those of us caring for vulnerable seabirds, this was the kind of announcement we had been hoping would not come but preparing for all the same. At our team meeting on Thursday morning, we discussed stepping up to Level 1 biosecurity. This means being even more vigilant about hygiene, movement around the sanctuary, and anything that could increase risk to the penguins in our care. We have been checking our supplies, including disinfectant, and thinking carefully about how best to protect the birds while continuing the essential work of rehabilitation.  The night sky is so accessible in winter, and beautiful too One of the most important messages for the public is simple: if you find dead seabirds, please do not touch or move them. Report them to MPI so the right people can respond safely. This protects people, domestic birds, and wildlife, and it gives authorities the information they need to track what is happening. For now, we are watching closely, preparing carefully, and continuing to do what we can for the penguins. Have a great week! Rosalie   This is our place Hello friends and family The weather has been bad in the colonies, but the penguins spent most of their time at sea. Slowly they are returning to their nest sites and showing an interest in the nest boxes. In the meantime, Bird flu' has developed further in Australia, reaching to north of Sydney and infection local birds.  I choose this nestbox Dan and I are currently attending the WReNNZ conference which is updating us on the latest events with Killer bird Flu' and how to best manage it when it arrives.  Let's get out of here! We will prepare
Have a great week! Rosalie  Hello Friends and family
The team have been busy keeping an eye on the colonies. Mrs. 111 is now in the Wildlife Hospital with a new set of symptoms - she is an old bird and maybe the problems are age related. There are very few penguins staying home all day, but they are socializing on the landings. Have a great week Rosalie  Mrs. 111 is behaving nicely Hello friends and family Not only does the work go on in the quiet time of the year, so too does your support. Donations to help us save penguins are doubly precious as all of our attention needs to be focused on penguin welfare, now more than ever, as new threats are waiting in the wings to challenge penguin welfare.  The penguins are coming in in small groups to avoid the seal pups Robbie has Mrs. 111 in care. She has been struggling for some time so we will take extra great care of her.
Have a great week! Rosalie  needing help Hello friends and family Even in the quiet season, penguins need help. Robbie rescued this Tawaki from Hampden beach and will take it to the wildlife hospital today. The team has been checking and re-baiting all the traps and caught a rat in the process. Murray has been keeping a lookout for the penguins at Kawariki Bay  spot the penguin coming home We attended the end of season meeting and were delighted to hear that Mel is now the Chair of the Technical Advisory Committee. There is hope for the future.
Have a great week! Rosalie  You can see from the tracks on the beach, most of the penguins are home already Hello friends and family With the season coming to an end, the penguins are on holiday. The team did the rounds, and no penguins were at home. When Murray checked the Bluff birds, there were 3 penguins sat home where there used to be 4. We are confident that there are 2 females and 1 male.  3 penguins perching on the bluff Have a great week!
Rosalie  checking out the real estate Hello friends and family The glorious autumn weather continues. My main task this week has been to tidy up the nest sites.  looking so innocent With seal pups everywhere, they destroy the stockades around the nest boxes and flatten everything in their path. They are unusually active this season, hopefully as a sign of a good diet.  there is always a first bloomer Murray came out on Tuesday and took the pruning saw on the rounds. Low hanging branches were the target, and the paths are now easier to move on.  there is a lot of action on the landing these days The traps have been repaired, and all is well in the reserves.
Have a great week! Rosalie  sunrise is at a respectable hour Hello friends and family The glorious weather continued so I was able to get some outside jobs done. The frosts felt further inland did not arrive here until Wednesday morning.  the Bluffs penguins On Tuesday the team came out, and we picked up Mrs 165 again. She is going swimming but not catching fish. On Wednesday morning I took her down to the Dunedin Wildlife hospital and we are hoping they can find what is wrong and restore her to full health.  lots of activity on the webcam these days While I was down there, I had an interview with Paddy Gower who is highlighting the tragic state of the Hoiho population. It was -1oC in Palmerston and Waikouaiti.  a favored penguin perch The team was out again on Thursday, and we welcomed Sylvia, who wants to help save the Hoiho. The forecasted rain came to nothing, so Robbie and Jan continued with the trap maintenance.  The rocks from the last 2 of 20 pens are ready to go to the Bluffs Yesterday I walked the coast and competed the deep clean of the penguin hospital.  Penguin blessings in Ogden Bay. Have a great week! Rosalie  |
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