​Hello friends and family
This is becoming a habit! Another quiet start to the week. Sunday and Monday just drifted by and I did a few jobs, but nothing of note. Robbie came out on Tuesday and we did the rounds before he up-graded the aviary for next season. 

​On Wednesday I did a fill-in at the Toptip. It was very cold, but full of cheerful people so quite fun really. In the afternoon I prepared for my Thursday meetings. On Thursday I set off for Dunedin nice and early so I could drive at an easy pace and enjoy the trip. It was beautiful – frosty white paddocks and vivid trees, standing out in greens, reds and golds. Wow!

​The first meeting was with the scientists from the Micro-biology department at Otago University. They are our heroes and committed to supporting our work to save the penguins. The second was with our amazing benefactor who sponsors our mosquito control programme and is willing to bring all his extensive expertise to help us save the penguins.

​On Friday I enjoyed the bellbird song while chopping out the flax that was growing through the heat pump. I also walked the coast because I knew that on Saturday, we were having a meeting in Hampden and I would not be doing it then. We are currently facing a lot of challenges and needed to sort out some issues so we could move on as a team to deal with the new problems going forward.

Have a great week!
Rosalie
​

​Hello friends and family
I started the week by dropping a backpack of weed spray at the Moeraki colony. As I walked past the main landing, I was surprized to see a juvenile Yellow-eyed penguin waiting for me to save it. I reassured it that I would be back and finished the spraying first.

​My surprize was compounded when I realised that she was not one of our penguins – in fact she came from the Otago peninsula. She had an odd patch on her back, consistent with a dog bite and tested positive for Malaria. She is making good progress.

​On Tuesday Robbie, Jan and I did the rounds. We picked up another juvenile and Mrs 10. Mrs 10 had been released before her positive Malaria test came back so it is great to find her alive. She now tests negative so her Malaria must be in remission. We released 4 penguins at the Moeraki colony so we then had 3.

​On Thursday Robbie Jan and I braved the wintry conditions. We constructed another 50 tree protectors and did the rounds, all the while battered by a cold wind. It had died down a little by Friday, but I blobbed anyway.

On Saturday I picked up 2 of our recent releases and Elaine came out and we did the bloods on them both. Both have been treated for Malaria but still have it in the blood. They will be treated with another Malaria drug, and let’s hope this one does the trick. Now we have 5 penguins in care!
Have a great week!
Rosalie
​

​Hello friends and family
Sunday’s weather was very pleasant but by Monday winter had arrived. The mountains look spectacular! On Tuesday Jan and I picked up 2 juvenile Yellow-eyed penguins. They were both suffering from Fungal throat. Fortunately, they responded well to the meds and will only need to stay for a short while to fatten up. 

​Wednesday was my day at the Toptip and I really thought it would be quiet as it was so cold – not the case! All the regulars turned up plus a few besides, so it ended up being busy. Robbie came on Thursday and we did the rounds, protected another 20 trees, cleared a path and updated 2 old nest boxes.

​This week we were proud to be the recipients of a “cupcake” fundraiser held at Sancta Maria College in Auckland. The students heard our story through Dan, our Trustee and the French couple who visited them and showed the video they had made here. It is very heartening to be supported by young people as it gives hope for the future.

The last 2 days have reminded me of why I have the hedges. With a storm raging all around, the garden is an oasis of tranquillity – a good time to get some pruning done!
Have a great week!
Rosalie
​

​Hello friends and family
This has been another quiet week. I started the back hedge on Sunday and then we had light rain so I stopped and will try again later today. Robbie came on Tuesday and we did some track clearing and protected another 20 Cabbage trees, as well as burning a felled Boxthorn.

​I went to Oamaru to do the shopping on Wednesday and when I called in to Mitre 10 to order ply and reinforcing for the concrete, they made Penguin Rescue trade customers, so we now get a discount on all purchases there. Jan joined Robbie and I on Thursday and we did the rounds and put out 6 new DOC 200 traps in the colonies. These traps meet the safety standards and are not a risk to non-target species.

​After lunch we constructed another 50 tree protectors. Robbie cuts the wire into 1 m lengths, using his grinder.

​Jan uses netting clips and the applicator tool to close the circles. If we make them any bigger, the sheep will flatten them to eat the plants, yet they leave the 1 m circumference ones alone. We can make 50 in an hour.

On my way home from Oamaru I noticed a smell – dead rat - so I stepped outside my comfort zone and opened the bonnet of the truck. Sitting on top of the motor was a rat’s nest. I was lucky that I did not have a fire! I have not been able to find the dead rat yet. Hopefully it will stop smelling soon.
Have a great week!
Rosalie
​

​Hello friends and family
Winter has stayed away this week. On Tuesday we were in tee shirts as we erected new tree protectors at the Moeraki colony. Robbie carts and bangs in the Y posts – 30 of them -Jan weeds and puts the wire circles on and I tied them in place. 200+ to go! Marian delivered our next supply of prime beef in the evening.

​On Thursday Robbie and I began the process of preparing the hospital floor for concreting. This has become necessary because we are keeping the penguins through the moult and have feathers to contend with. It would be fair to describe the ground underneath the stones, that the penguins live on, as putrid. I will remove some of the rocks for re-using and the rest will stay under the new floor.

​As we ate our lunch, we could hear the rats racing in the ceiling. Sure enough, when I checked, they had eaten all the bait, so I put more out. It has been a bad year for rats in the reserves, but them moving in here is not a good solution.

The 3 penguins in care are all making progress. I am sure that they benefit from the company and they can hear the penguins down the hill calling.
Have a great week!
Rosalie
​

​Hello friends and family
After the excitement of the conference last weekend, and a cold front going through, I blobbed on Monday and other than Yoga, stayed home. On Tuesday we had Jules and Trudi visit to discus penguin nest boxes. We walked around both reserves and I explained how we got our penguins into the nest boxes. In the afternoon, David Clark, our local MP called in with his new PA Amy, and we were able to tell him of our grave concerns for penguin welfare after this terrible season. How great is that!

​I extracted the miticide strips from the beehives on Wednesday – just as well! Thursday brought a cold southerly and I had another inside day. One of our 2 hospital penguins has tested positive for Malaria after a course of Malarone and so I will start it on a new drug to try and clear the plasmodium from the blood.

On Friday I picked up our oldest chick – it had fledged naturally and returned home when it became unwell. Robbie came out and held it for blood sampling. It does not have Malaria but does have an infected foot. Yesterday was very pleasant – 20 degrees C in Oamaru – so I shifted rocks from the Hugo wing. Cleaning it has been a challenge, so we will concrete the floor and put in good drainage.
Have a great week!
Rosalie
​

​Hello friends and family
The week began grey and cool so my plans to check the bees was put on hold for warmer weather. This gave me a quiet start to the week, and I was pleased to go back to Yoga on Monday morning as an indoor activity.
On Tuesday Jan, Robbie and I did the rounds and cleared some fallen branches so we can walk around without ducking all the time. We released some penguins and Jan did the cleaning.

On Wednesday Robbie and I went to Oamaru to speak to the people at the Observatory retirement village. We took the opportunity to call in to Streaters and the steel people in pursuit of a new donation box as our current one was broken into again during the weekend. I am sure that it was the same people as last time as the damage was targeted.

​After doing the monitoring rounds with Jan and Robbie on Thursday, I was off to the annual WReNNZ conference. This year it was in Christchurch and I spoke about our Malaria voyage on Friday morning. This gave me 2 relaxing days listening to the other speakers and I came home on Sunday afternoon.

Attending a WReNNZ conference is always inspiring as the people who help our wildlife are my heroes! Trail blazers in the conservation of our threatened species.
I was heartened to hear that the government has decided to proceed with the better of the 2 poor choices to protect our coastal waters.
Have a great week!
Rosalie
​

​Hello friends and family
I returned home from my 2 week break last Sunday. Chris had kept everything humming along while I was away and there were only 3 YEPs in care on my return. The holiday I had was a family gathering in Hahei, on the Coromandel, to celebrate birthdays. I had a wonderful time – great place - great views - fun fishing – yummy food and lots of catch up time with the whanau.

​I started Yoga in Hampden on Monday morning. I will try it for 10 weeks and see how I feel about it then. Robbie came out on Tuesday and we did a thorough check of both reserves and the traps. The day was glorious and once again, we were treated with passing dolphins frolicking as they headed north.

​Wednesday was my day at the Top-tip shop. The week has been warm and sunny, so it was a pleasure to catch up with local news and relax for 3 hours. Both Jan and Robbie came out on Thursday and we got more Cabbage trees protected and a broken penguin nesting box replaced.

​On Friday I did some prep for the conference next week and Hiltrun came up. Yesterday we did the rounds and saw a handful of penguins relaxing at home for the day and picked up the first cast (penguin regurgitation) of the season. Winter bliss!

Have a great week
Rosalie
​