Hello!
We hope you are all enjoying the warmer, longer days and the feel of Summer in the air. Penguin adults have been busy raising their chicks and chicks have been taking that risky first step as they leave the nest and head out to sea.
Like the kororā and tawaki on the West Coast, our Rangers, Trustees and schools have all been busy too. Still buzzing from our time with Mena the penguin detection dog, Rangers have continued their monitoring and burrow scoping, camera set up and maintenance, and trapping and tracking predators. I have been in and out of schools and at the beach, working with students to ensure we keep learning more about West Coast penguins so that we can help protect them.
This month we were excited to see our ANZ mini film and our NZ Geographic photos - read on for more on those.
Our Great Annual Blue Penguin Count was pretty quiet this year, but it was a strange year for everyone, even for the penguins. Many people were unable to take part due to the steep cliffs of sand from the erosion on their local beaches and others noted that their penguins hadn't come back to that spot this year, perhaps due to the erosion. Thank you to those of you busy cutting steps and access ramps up for the penguins this year and we hope to be back with a revitalised penguin count for 2021.
Robin Long, our Trustee and tawaki Ranger, has been on her adventures again, searching for tawaki around Stewart Island by kayak; her news is below.
Due to ongoing erosion, it is still tricky to walk dogs on the beach in many places, and we are forced to be closer to the dunes, so please do continue to ensure your dog is not free to roam in the dunes and coastal vegetation. We are now in the stage of vulnerable chicks still being raised, fledged and also getting into moulting. Remember, when a penguin moults it cannot go to sea for two weeks, so they are very stressed. This is the most vulnerable time for a penguin. Please help us to keep them safe.
If you see an injured penguin or any wildlife that seems to be struggling, please call DOC for assistance on 0800 DOCHOT (362 468). Please do not pick up the bird or animal, which causes more stress to them, particularly during the moult. It's very important to have an experienced ranger - from DOC or the Penguin Trust - determine whether the penguin is at risk or needs to stay where it is. We often hear of a sick or injured penguin from a member of the community, which we are very grateful for, and in most cases the penguin needs removing and assessing for treatment and rehabilitation. However, if we pick up a moulting penguin, we cause them a lot of stress and if they are safe from dogs, they are best left where they are.
Many thanks for all your support
We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy holidays!
Lucy
Education and Awareness Ranger
PS you might have noticed we have updated our email address to match our website - now info@westcoastpenguintrust.org.nz