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When the yellow-eyed penguin chicks are getting close to 3 months old it is rare to see an adult at home. Chicky is a 2-year old who was sponsored as a chick and she is raising one chick (the other one is raised by Jackson and his (male!) mate). She is double-blessed because now her box is also sponsored: Flipper Palace. Thank you to all our wonderful sponsors for your support and interest!  When it is feeding time in our penguin hospital aka kindergarten these yellow-eyed penguin chicks are super eager but also surprisingly well behaved. They politely wait their turn although there is always a bit of pushing and shoving involved as well.
These newly sponsored yellow-eyed penguin chicks received sex-neutral names because at this age it is not possible to sex them. They are Bequette's chicks and have received their micro-chips and are now 'real' penguins: we will be able to identify them even if they mix up with other chicks and hopefully after they fledge and return into our colonies in the future. For now they are still all brown and fluffy and have another four weeks or so to go before the big blue beckons.  The micro-chipping is all done and it involved weighing the yellow-eyed penguin chicks: here we have Poppy's two chicks waiting to be weighed and chipped. They came out good with nice weights and to cap it off, they are now also sponsored - names are yet to be decided. It's good to be loved from the other side of the planet. Thank you!!  These two yellow-eyed penguin chicks have been hiding in the bushes but here they are: big, fluffy and almost fully grown. The parents have been working very hard and it shows in these plump babies!!  Our gorgeous yellow-eyed penguin chicks are moving about - and in together. Here we have three chicks: two are Mandy's and one is the neighbour chick whose sibling is in rehab to relieve the parents when the food got scarce. This one grew up in the Changri-la box. It's just as well that we micro-chipped everyone now so we know who is who!!  The chicks are two and a half months old now and they are moving around a lot and usually siblings hang out together somewhere where the parents will find them. They are loosing their down now and soon will look like real penguins! They have already reached adult size!
As this chick is our oldest s/he features a lot here on FB because she is often out in the open and easy to photograph. She has already started to change her feathers now with a blue back and her front is also quite white. Here she is sleeping in the shade waiting for dinner her parents are busy getting out at sea. S/he is certainly looking very plump!  They were one of the last eggs to be laid so they are our youngest. Here Janet is still at home with them and inspecting the chick's fluff while it is sleeping. She is such a dedicated mum - as evidenced by how big her chicks are.  Jackson is a 3-year old yellow-eyed penguin male and Bequette's brother. He and his (male) mate live in Anja and Alfreda's nest box and being two males they didn't lay any eggs. So we gave them one of Chicky's eggs to raise because she is just a 2-year old and two chicks would be too much for her. And haven't the two dads done well! Such a handsome chick it is!  |
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January 2019
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