​Hello friends and family
Once again, we started the week with pleasant weather – overcast but no wind and quite mild. The bees were out foraging, and the lawn keeps growing. On Tuesday we had a de-brief from the weekend conference and a big discussion about how we could best help the penguins going forward. Later we ended up picking up both of the penguins released last week and burnt off the old dead boxthorn so we can plant Kanuka in the spot now cleared.

​Wednesday was my Toptip day and it was quiet – no rushing required, and people were generally quite relaxed. In the afternoon I watered the trees. On Thursday we had a short road trip with Patrick to check on watercress and put fresh bait in all the traps. Elaine and I did the bloods of the 3 penguins in care. The 2 that we treated earlier are still clear of Malaria, but the new young female has tested positive – she will get a course of Malarone. 

​Hiltrun and Elke came up yesterday and cleared a large tree that was smothering all its neighbours. I cleared the access to 5 nests at the south end. We watched the penguins coming home and were very pleased to see two juveniles returning with the adults. This brings the total seen so far to 8!

Have a great week!
Rosalie
​

​Hello friends and family
We continue with our regular monitoring on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, helped along by pleasant weather and good company. The penguins are starting to return home in mid-afternoon, so I took a walk down the hill to sit in the sun and counted 17 penguins on the rocks in Hide Bay, including one juvenile. 

​On Thursday we released the 2 penguins in care at Pebble Bay and both had left by Friday morning when I went to check them. I did not get the chance to celebrate as we picked up a new Juvenile penguin that had an infection and fungal throat. It is a wee girl and so very precious!

​Yesterday was the annual Yellow-eyed Penguin symposium so we carpooled and travelled down with Jan. Hiltrun presented our annual report in the morning and in the afternoon, I gave a talk about our journey with Diphtheria.

The new recovery plan for Yellow-eyed penguins has now been approved. The Minister of Conservation was there to officially announce it and it will take some time to unpack its meaning. They have allocated another 2 rangers to care for the penguins, but it seems likely that they will spread them too thinly. Time will tell!
Have a great week!
Rosalie
​

​Hello friends and family
I have spent the week writing reports and avoiding the icy wind when possible. On Tuesday we welcomed Mel who was visiting from Dunedin to collect more penguin poo samples. She had been held up to contribute to the TV interview around beach closures to protect penguins.

​The wind kept blowing on Thursday, so Elaine and Patrick trimmed some trees in the reserve and Jan and I did the trap round. In the afternoon, Jan and I secured some more trees that had been damaged by the sheep. Let us hope they are now safe!

Hiltrun and Elaine continued with the habitat upgrade at the Moeraki colony yesterday and I watered the trees on the hill. The penguins came home in groups and we counted 35 on the main landing!
Have a great week!
Rosalie
​

​Hello friends and family
Tuesday was one of those great winter days when the sun shone, and the grass was crispy. In the morning we did a nest box check and have a list of improvements to be done before September. In the afternoon we went to the Moeraki colony and planted more trees. We must re-think our management as the sheep have done serious damage to the trees this time.
At around 3 pm the penguins returned, and we watched them play in the water for about ½ hour and then we went home. I happened to glance out over the bay at 4 pm and saw a pod of dolphins also playing in the waves. It is heart-warming to see wildlife well enough fed that they can have time out to play.

​We picked up the Juvenile that did not want to leave and brought it in. On Thursday when we did the bloods, we found a bacterial infection and Malaria again. In the afternoon, I picked up an adult that was in for Malaria last time and may well have it again. 

​On Thursday morning we cleared the landing at Harry’s Bay and 3 of the obstructed nest boxes here. In the afternoon we rabbit proofed the new trees. Yesterday Hiltrun and Elaine created a new nest site at the Moeraki colony, and we watched the penguins come home.

Have a great week!
Rosalie
​

​Hello friends and family
Our focus this week was on a different project as the tree planting site is exposed and there has been a cold wind and the paddock is too soft to drive on. We have tried to relocate some Koura (freshwater crayfish) from hidden forest streams to a new pond that has been recently planted out with native trees. Patrick led the project and showed us how to make traps and what the issues are with catching Koura. So far, we have not caught any!

​The penguins are enjoying their winter holiday and the last one was released from care yesterday. After a course of Malarone, he tested clear for Malaria and was well pleased to be free again. I can unset my morning alarm for 7:30 and sleep in until the sun comes up!

​Yesterday the government announced a rescue fund for rehabbers and zoos. We will put in an application as funding at the gate has declined sharply and one of our sponsors has withdrawn because of Covid 19. DOC records the numbers of visitors so I will ask them for the information over the last 3 months. I don’t know if we exactly fit the criteria – it is hard to fit into boxes when you are working with endangered species.

Hiltrun and Elaine cleared yet another corner at the Moeraki colony yesterday, in glorious sunshine. A pleasant change from the cold wet week that we have had.
Have a great week!
Rosalie
​

​Hello friends and family
A new season begins. Thank you so much for all of you that supported our work during the last season. Each of the last 5 seasons has been an uphill struggle for the penguins and we hope that this will be the year when the numbers begin to recover, and we can start to re-build the population.

​A special mention to my big brother Richard who has been our honorary accountant all these years and is now finally retiring. We need a new accountant please – not that onerous, we use Cashbook, so it is straight forward. Thank you, Richard for all the support over the years.

​The week began with a dire weather forecast which turned out to be not as bad as predicted. The rehab penguins were released, the pens and enclosures cleaned out and now the lawn can recover. Robbie and Patrick came on Tuesday and we did the rounds and planted a few plants. I was on the Top-tip on Wednesday morning and it was very cold – sleet but no snow.

On Thursday, Elaine, Robbie and I helped Patrick clean up some of the rubbish down the hill. The reward was seeing juvenile penguins socialising with the adults, but we did pick up one skinny one that later tested positive for Malaria.
Elaine joined me on my trip to town on Friday. It was glorious after a hard frost. The mountains were covered in snow and the air was fresh. Yesterday was better and the Saturday team worked in the forest, out of the wind.
Have a great week!
Rosalie
​

​Hello friends and family.
This has been another great week. Hamish and I planted trees whenever we could, and for the first part of the week, the penguins were coming home and providing great entertainment as they porpoised through the water. 

​On Wednesday we went to Oamaru to stock up on fencing materials and then went to the Moeraki Tavern for dinner. They have a great range of gluten free meals so Hamish could enjoy his meal guilt free. As usual, I had a Fisherman’s basket – Yum!
Robbie came out on Thursday morning and got the roll of netting cut up before the rain. Stewart brought Helen and Roxie out for a visit in the afternoon and Hamish cooked Nachos for dinner.

​Hamish went home on Friday and I started the cleaning of Robbie’s rehab. I also got word from Ngai Tahu that they will waive the annual lease on the house which is a significant contribution to our conservation work. Thank you, Ngai Tahu!

The Saturday team came and did some more habitat work. The behaviour change with the penguins was very noticeable. Not a lot of flying penguins or beach politics!
Have a great week
Rosalie
​

​Hello friends and family
Sunday and Monday morning where spent planting trees. On Monday afternoon we went to the section to begin clearing the gorse. It will be mostly a chainsaw job, but not impossible!
The team turned up on Tuesday and more trees were planted. By Wednesday afternoon Hamish was wondering if we did anything else, so we went back to Hampden and got more done. 

​Thursday was bitter and so Hamish and I did the rounds on our own and Robbie came in the afternoon to help plant more trees! From the planting site, we can watch the penguins coming home. They porpoise through the waves and move at a great pace. The first ones are coming home at around 2:15 pm so there is great viewing from then on.

​To add a bit of variety, on Friday morning we finished off the clean-up in the Aviary. This involved throwing a lot of rocks, so it is great to have that job done. In the afternoon we planted more trees until the penguins came home and it was time for us to go home too.
Hamish and I are taking turns with the cooking, so we are living the high life at the moment. He is gluten free so that means I need to be a bit creative and he eats leftovers for lunch so that is easy.

Hiltrun, Elke and Elaine came on Saturday and we did more blood tests on the 2 YEPs in care. One still has Malaria and the other, a bacterial infection. They will both be here for another week!
We saw the first returned Juvenile of the season – not for long though as the adults chased it back into the sea – something I have not seen for about 10 years.
Have a great week!
Rosalie
​