​Hello friends and family
The week started off mild but foggy or drizzly. Ideal conditions for our newly transferred flaxes and tussock and fungi.

​Our vigilance after the Canterbury storms paid off this week and we rescued a Juvenile Yellow-eyed penguin on Tuesday that was only 4.3 Kg and had no micro-chip so is not from Otago. The PCR tests from 2 of our other penguins in care came back positive for Malaria and so they have been treated for this.

​On Thursday we picked up Mr 30 who was reluctant to stand up. His bloods looked fine, and by this morning he was standing and eating. Maybe he had been fighting with the neighbour and was exhausted!

​Yesterday it stopped raining for the afternoon so Hiltrun and I did some chain sawing at the Moeraki colony. Elaine came and read the bloods -the unmarked penguin has Malaria so it is now being treated.

​Hello friends and family
The weeks are marching on and soon we will reach the end of the season. It runs from 1 July to 30 June, to match the penguin’s life cycle as best as we can. Our goal is to have all the hospital enclosures deep cleaned by the end of the month. Lindsey and Margie have become expert stone throwers and make the job seem easy. 

​In the reserves, we are preparing nest boxes so the penguins are as secluded as possible. At this time of the year, it is usual to not see any penguins when we do our rounds in the morning. They are going fishing then and start to come home at about 2 pm. 

​On Thursday we decided to check the Little Penguins on the island and when we got there, we were treated by a small pod of dolphins fishing right in close to the rocks. I am not good at photographing dolphins, and as usual, ended up with pictures of splashes!

The Hampden house is almost ready to be rented out. The landscaper is coming in this week to gravel all the paths, sort out the drainage and the drive. Then it will become a home for someone. It is listed with Essential Property management in Oamaru who manage other properties in Hampden.
Have a great week!
Rosalie

​Hello friends and family
We were very lucky with the rain – about 30 mm of gentle stuff over 3 days.
On Monday I went down the hill in the rain to rescue a juvie YEP that had been at home for 3 days and only weighed 4 Kgs. I saw 3 juvies there which was a treat. In the afternoon, Robbie and I went to the end of season meeting at DOC in Dunedin. The final numbers for the season were not analysed so we can expect more of the same next season. 

​ It was too soft on Tuesday to drive down to the Moeraki colony so we parked t the top of the hill and put up the electric fence for sheep protection while we were there. I did the Toptip in Wednesday morning and in the afternoon, drove back to Dunedin to give a talk to the 60+ group, located in the First Church hall. 

​There were about 120 people there and halfway through my talk, an elderly woman in the middle of the hall collapsed. What to do! Carry on was the instruction – not easy to do and not my best presentation ever. The ambulance team came and took her into the foyer where she was attached to a heart monitor and eventually pronounced okay.

​On Thursday we released 2 of the juvies on care and took bloods from the new one. The remaining 2 are now located in the hospital so I can clean the Hugo wing. We also got the news on Thursday that our bid for funding from the ‘jobs for nature’ fund was unsuccessful.

Hiltrun, Trii and Rachel joined Elaine and I on Saturday and next week Hiltrun will start chain sawing the fallen branches.
Have a great week!
Rosalie

​Hello friends and family
I have closed my landline so the only phone I have now is my cell phone. Only a few people used my landline, and it was costing me up to $40 a month – I always call on my cell phone these days.

​I have just had a great trip up to the north island. I started in Auckland for the WReNNZ conference held at the zoo. There were 70 delegates and many wonderful speakers. That took up the first 2 days and then on the Sunday, Daniel and I went to Tiritirimatangi where he is a volunteer. This is a conservation Island in the Hauraki Gulf. We had a magical day with many native bird species to be seen and bright sunshine with no wind.

​On the Monday, after talking to year 13 Biology Class, I caught the bus to Thames where Paul and I visited Raewyn. She is always an inspiration with her great outlook on life and wonderful stories. After that we went to Paul and Jen’s place at Hahei where I stayed for 4 nights. While I was there, I walked to Cathedral cave and the Blowhole. This was to walk off the wonderful food I ate! We also went to Whitianga and cruised the canals that are all new since I was there last.

​On the Friday, Paul took me to the Mount so I could stay at Maria and Bryan’s place. More yummy food and as a bonus, I got to catch up with all my siblings at once. We went out to dinner at the village, and everyone was very impressed with the delicious food and flash surroundings. I got up before the sparrows on Tuesday morning and Bryan delivered me to the airport for a 6 am flight home. This enabled me to make a submission to the Waitaki District Council 10-year plan in the afternoon and get home to feed the 2 penguins in care.

On Thursday the team came out and we began the big winter clean, which involves removing the rocks from the pens, lifting the grates and cleaning the concrete below. After sterilizing, everything is put back ready for next season. In the afternoon, Lindsey, Robbie and Margie rescued a penguin from Kakanui that was on a dog walking path.
Then the rain started. We have only had 10 mm so far, but it is still grey.
Have a great week!
Rosalie

Hello friends and family
What a great week this has been! On Monday I took the Varroa strips out of the beehives and so now they are sorted until spring. The team came on Tuesday and we planted another house.
I was on the Toptip on Wednesday morning and it was busy for the whole 3 hours. I was pleased to come home and make cheese and relax a bit.  It was great to see our penguin tracking data go up on the Movebank website to be shared with us all. https://www.movebank.org/cms/webapp?gwt_fragment=page=search_map.

​On Thursday I set off to the Oamaru penguin symposium, traveling with Jan and Robbie. 10 members of Penguin Rescue came along. I gave a presentation about our procedures here. We went to the Little penguin show after the last talk, or the pub, or some even went to both. We enjoyed a delicious conference dinner.

​Hiltrun spoke on Friday about double marking of Little penguins at Pilot’s beach. My episode of the rabbit story went to air on Friday morning https://vimeo.com/545815722. It resulted in a bit of interest and so I did a phone interview with Radio NZ in the afternoon. After the symposium, I picked up the new blinds for the office. A lovely couple from Wellington came out to see the penguins and so I did an evening visit, which I seldom do. I saw all of our resident penguins where we went, plus a few more, including 2 juveniles.

On Saturday I made such a botch up of hanging the first office blind, I will get help for the other one. The timber in the window frames is so old and hard, I can’t get a screw to go into it.
Have a great week!
Rosalie

​Hello friends and family
After a lazy Sunday I decided on Monday, to shift some penguin houses to new places as they had not been used recently in their current location. The first one had a penguin in it! The next one had a new nest bowl and the 3rd one was anchored to the ground and not going to be moved without mechanical help! I was left with domestic chores to fill up the day.

​On Tuesday Robbie and I relocated a penguin box and the birds had moved in by Thursday. Robbie released a penguin at the Bluffs in the afternoon. On Thursday, the team was back to strength, so Robbie and Jan built penguin houses that we planted in the afternoon. Gareth from the council came to learn what we do and is very supportive of our conservation work.

​Hiltrun, Trii and Elaine came on Saturday. The weather was glorious, and it was warmer outside than in. Having our morning coffee outside was a reminder of Covid days last year.

​Hello friends and family
Happy birthday Dot!
Well, it has been a busy week. The weekday team was down to Robbie and I, so we continued with the list of jobs. This involved chain sawing, banging in warratahs, planting a new house and protecting another 40 trees. We also trapped 3 ferrets and a rat.

​On Wednesday I did the Toptip in the morning and then went into Oamaru for the ‘flu jab in the afternoon. The plumbers and electricians have finished at the house so it has been a busy site.

​On Thursday, we planted a new penguin box and banged in about 40 warratahs. This means that the swamp trees have now all been protected.
The big news is that we have had at least 4 juvenile YEPs return. This is very early – I have seen them back in May before, but it is still only April. The early return of juveniles is a good sign for the coming season.

​Elaine and Hiltrun came on Saturday and so we spent the time working out what winter maintenance we need to do. All good!

Just as Hiltrun left, we had a thunderstorm that delivered 18mm of hail. No watering needed for a few days!
Have a great week!
Rosalie
​

​Hello friends and family
Hiltrun came up on Sunday which was a much nicer day than Saturday and we found that most penguins were out fishing. Later in the day, we got a Cape Petrel that was found on Shag Point road. It probably got disoriented by car headlights, so we kept it until Tuesday morning when we released it in the bay. I have seen several Flocks of Titi as they head north to Siberia. They will have been very pleased with the sou’wester that came up on Tuesday and delivered 25 mm of rain – the drought is broken!

​The team came out on Tuesday and began the task of tidying up some of the branches blown over in the wind last week.  We need to get dying Ngaio out of reach of the sheep as it is poisonous. On Wednesday I made cheese and preserved fruit.

​Lindsey and Margie came out on Thursday morning and we did the rounds, released two juvenile penguins and carted some tree circles. In the afternoon, I went to Hampden to see the unloading of my house. After it was safely placed on the foundations, I got to go inside, and I am very pleased with it. It looks good on the site and the view is magical.

On Friday, Lindsey, Margie, and I went to Penguin Place and then Boulder beach. Penguin Place was looking wonderful, and the trees had grown since I was last there. They had 25 penguins in care so are still quite busy. Boulder Beach involves a very long walk, and we were blessed with some decent rain while we were there! I had my coat but got wet feet – should have worn my gumboots!
Yesterday was sunny again and we worked at the north end of the reserve.
Have a great week!
Rosalie
​