We have been very excited about the number of yellow-eyed penguin juveniles that have returned already. Usually we don't see the young of year until later but so far we have encountered at least a dozen. All our chicks were transpondered and to read the the number we need to be able to get close enough to use the wand. We managed with this one and it turned out that it was the chick from a nest about 15m from where he was sitting - and his parents were home that day as well.
Adults are usually quite tolerant towards juveniles - no yellow line on the head means they are not sexually mature so they are not competition in any way and they get away with sitting in someone else's territory. This one just came home to sit with mum and dad. He obviously knows how to fish judging by his chubbiness! |
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December 2020
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