Sunday 19th August 2018

This penguin is checking out the real estate

​Hello friends and family
This has been another action-packed week! On Sunday I made a miserable attempt to tidy up the last tall hedge and was very pleased when Jan came on Monday, so I did not have to do any more of it! On Monday we found 27 active Little Penguin nests on the Island and some had 2 eggs. We also saw sign of up to 8 Yellow-eyed penguins roosting north of the reserve, so we have hope for expansion there.

This pair have chosen this nest box

​Robbie came on Tuesday and we did more tidying up work and planted another 18 trees. Hiltrun arrived in the evening to be here for the Hui on Wednesday. The Hui was in two parts – first we showed the group around the Wildlife reserve where the penguins live, and Ngai Tahu now manage, and then we met at the Moeraki Boulders Café as there was another group at the Marae. I came away from the Hui with a glimmer of hope for the future of the penguins.

Karo blooming in the reserve

​Jan and Robbie came on Thursday and we planted 32 plants and killed a gorse clump. It rained on Friday, so I had a quiet day. Jan and Hiltrun worked all day on Saturday so by 4 pm I was happy to relax.

A young male has claimed this nest-box as his own.

Have a great week!
Rosalie
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