​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
​

​Hello friends and family
Last Sunday we had hurricane force winds blow through for several hours. All of the pears were blown off the tree. This also resulted in leaves and twigs strewn through the reserves with some broken tree branches. Hiltrun came up and managed to mow despite the wind.

​The team came on Tuesday and did the rounds. We emptied the chest freezer and Robbie cut another pile of circles so we could clip them together. Wednesday was my Toptip day, and very enjoyable to catch up with the locals. I visited the Hampden section and work has finally begun on my house. The site has been levelled and the access for the house prepared.

​On Thursday I joined the team to do the rounds and we looked at what is needed to bring the nest boxes up to scratch for the next breeding season. The penguins have begun building nest bowls, so we need to get a hurry on! Wherever tiny chicks died we will redesign the entrance to the nest to give the breeders more privacy. We want it so that the penguins cannot see other penguins walking past when they are sitting on their eggs. We also picked up an injured penguin from the Catlins and it is now in care.

​I went to Oamaru on Friday and enjoyed the autumn display along the way. It is still very dry here and the farmer has begun feeding out to the sheep.
Yesterday we got 3 mm of rain and that stopped the dust for a few hours!

Have a great week!
Rosalie
​

​Hello friends and family
Autumn has treated us kindly and all the jobs waiting for bad weather are still waiting. I am continuing to enjoy an excellent recovery and am now walking each day to keep up my spirits.

​We have only a handful of penguins in care – underweight moulters and chicks that have failed to fledge. The chicks have a fungal throat infection that makes swallowing painful. We treat that, fatten them up and then they try to fledge again.

​Lindsey and Robbie did the rounds on Tuesday and only a few penguins have yet to complete the moult. On Wednesday I clipped some tree circles together and it felt good to be doing something productive again. I also preserved some fruit.

By Thursday there was only a couple of penguins at home so in the afternoon we started protecting some small trees that had survived the sheep and the drought. Robbie got us 80 more warratahs so we will be ready for the winter planting, as soon as it rains.
Happy Easter and have a great week!
Rosalie
​

​Hello friends and family
Two weeks ago, I headed up to Christchurch and picked daughter Maria, up from the airport. We went to our motel across the road from the Riccarton Mall and settled in. The next morning, I was admitted to hospital for some serious maintenance. I was able to go back to the motel the next day and on Thursday, Maria drove me home. While I was away, the team rescued 2 needy penguins and cared for the 3 that were already in care.

​I am on light duties for the near future which is character building! Maria was doing the hard graft and I am laying about, doing my best to rest.

​Robbie and Jan came out on Tuesday to do the rounds and released Mr 83 to complete the moult at his nest site. We were joined by Lindsey on Thursday and the team rescued 3 underweight moulters.

Hiltrun, Trii and Elaine came out yesterday and did the honours, not finding any penguins in need of help but checking the reserves carefully so no penguin gets missed.
 
Have a great week!
Rosalie
​

​Hello friends and family
On Tuesday we released the Royal penguin. The place seems quiet without him. He would always call whenever I walked past and lived up to his reputation for being a very social species. Megan and Oscar were up here to see him go. He took about 20 minutes to orient himself, and then he was off! We also saw most of our breeding pairs moulting and a Dusky dolphin with her calf.

​On Thursday we found flipper bird home again, hopefully to begin the moult. I had big misgivings about letting her go after her injury last month, but she was unhappy in care and it has all worked out well. 

​We also picked up the breeding pair from Katiki Beach because they were in an exposed spot. Just as well because she was underweight, and he was marginal. It turns out that she is a 2-year-old from the Moeraki colony which explains why her chicks were struggling as is she. Without our help, the whole family would have died. Both of them have been in care before so know how to eat nicely so it will be very low stress for them to see out the moult here.

Elaine came out on Saturday and we took their bloods. Both looked good! We let Mrs 47 go to complete the moult at her nest and the skinny juvenile from last week is now a free bird at the Moeraki colony. We opened the door of the soft release pen for the last of the 60 chicks to go. We are very proud of our efforts with the chicks this season.
Have a great week!
Rosalie
​

​Hello friends and family
And then it was March! The weather has warmed up at last. Harvest in the garden continues. I have stayed off the bike this week – resting the butt and walking a bit more. Paul, Jen and Olivia took a few days for a southern adventure and then came back on Wednesday.

​Paul took me to Dunedin hospital on Thursday morning for a bit of maintenance and Robbie and Lindsey did the rounds. They saw 73 beautiful, moulting penguins in the colony and all the chicks had gone. On Friday, the family and I went for a bush walk at Trotters gorge. It was so peaceful, and the only sound was the calls of fantails and bellbirds.

​Elaine and Hiltrun came out on Saturday and we picked up a skinny moulter. We are ticking off the breeding pairs as they come back into moult. We can guess who they are by their location so there is no need to get close to them. There are only 6 penguins in care and the Royal will go on Tuesday so it is a very quiet season so far!

Have a great week!
Rosalie
​

​Hello friends and family
Harvest season has begun, and we have an abundance of pears, beans, mulberries, tomatoes, capsicums and courgettes. On Monday I harvested and froze broad beans and runner beans. On Tuesday Robbie and Patrick worked in the reserve and Lindsey and I did the rounds. There seemed to be a lot of penguins around, so on Thursday, Lindsey counted – there were 52 adults at home. All but the last 2 chicks in the wild have fledged, we have 3 chicks in soft release and 4 in care. 

​On Wednesday I joined the family, and we rode from Duntroon to Oamaru – 57 Kms of glorious North Otago countryside. I was very pleased with myself, but exhausted! The family returned to the lighthouse on Thursday afternoon and on Friday they rode the Hampden forest track, then we went to the tavern for tea. 

​On Saturday it was time for the family to move on and Deleece and Elaine did the rounds with me. All was quiet in the reserves with no apparent problems. I spent the afternoon relaxing, washing and watering as the big dry continues.

​We picked up another wounded penguin on Thursday. It is Mrs 47 who had a puncture wound to the abdomen, with matching cuts to her back. She is responding well to treatment.

​Hello friends and family,
We have our first Crested penguin in care – I am not sure yet what it is, it has been pecked on the head by gulls so is now here, safe from predation and making good progress. We have also relocated several moulting, Yellow-eyed penguins. 

​The first batch of chicks in soft release have gone – they went on Tuesday, which was a fine day, and the sea was calm. On Tuesday we picked up a penguin with a slashed leg and Robbie drove it straight to the Wildlife hospital in Dunedin. In the afternoon we went to the Bluffs and found 2 of our Juveniles have moved there so we are pleased that they are safe.
This was Dom’s last week with us. He spent it working with Patrick to clean up fallen trees in the reserve. He has had many new experiences while he has been here. Thank you, Dom for all your work. 

​The family arrived on Wednesday evening and they had called in to Genius homes in Timaru to see the new house. One of the extras that I had asked for was a hand basin in the toilet – that was pre-COVID and I think more people will want to see that feature now.

On Friday we went to Riverstone to celebrate my birthday and Pamela, Jen and Olivia visited the castle – they loved it! Yesterday we drove up to lake Pukaki and cycled the north bank which is the start of the Alps 2 ocean bike trail. We rode for 31 Kms and today they are doing the lake Ohau leg that I have done already so I have come home to feed the penguins. The weather was a gift – clear skies, no wind and 30 degrees. I loved it. What will next week bring!
Have a great week!
Rosalie
​