Franki is obviously feeling a lot better than she was as now she spends her time on patrol looking for an escape route. I weighed Franki this morning but didn’t give her any breakfast as DoC ranger Helen was coming round to put a band on her flipper. Luckily for Franki, Helen was very punctual and her breakfast wasn’t very late at all. So now Franki is officially know as YEP 19000, nice number eh?
I am pleased to report that Miss 19000 has finally started to use the pool of her own accord, another sign of her general improvement. Beach watch; I decided to stay down after my beach walk to do a full watch as yesterday the penguins seemed to be coming in early. Today? They certainly weren’t early. 1st arrival was at 4.45pm and I only saw another 4 come in by 6pm. There were great views in the bushes however, not as obvious as recently but I still enjoyed seeing the dead cabbage tree pair mutually preening. Moving stuff.
It was a bigger crowd again with 54 folk coming along, many of those were a group of hockey playing girls from Dunedin. Much better behaved than some of late, thanks girls. One prat went down on the beach then badmouthed me when I showed him the error of his ways. Grr.
The good part of dealing with the Little Blues is that we release them to the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony. Pip, marine biologist, monitors the nests each week to see who is around which gives us feedback about some that came through rehab. Pip told Sue the other day that Trouble, Edge & Slik are all nesting and that Jan & Robin had been seen as well and are doing great. Excellent feedback thanks Pip
A fine day was forecast so after feeding and swimming Franki I started emptying the pool. It was great to get a good day for this five hour outside job and all went to plan so after Franki was fed in the afternoon the pool was ready so she could have another post meal dip. Another job I finished today was making this year’s fund raising DVD. I went down early to walk Bushy Beach and walked along to check Second beach and Boatman’s Harbour. All good there. As I came back to the Frog I noticed a collection (?) of Black Oyster Catchers in the field, very strange.
I was at the hide around 3.30pm and chatted to a nice German couple who had already seen 4 Yellow-eyed Penguins come ashore. I counted another 8 before I left at 6pm. There was not such good close viewing tonight with none around the platform and just the dead cabbage tree pair for entertainment.
It was a quiet night with only 15 visitors and I was just about to leave when a couple of minibuses arrived with more hockey playing schoolgirls.
I talked to the teachers and left them in charge of the beach!??! BTW It was good to meet up with Neil & Jan from the UK back for their second visit.
We got a call from Jason at OBPC this morning about a Little Blue reported to be stuck outside the whiskey building in town. We went down and a worker on site showed us the penguin, as it was hiding in an unsafe place (dogs about) we took it home.
Sue weighed it, checked it over and gave it a swim. As all seemed well with the Blue, Sue released it back to Pip at OBPC. Sue dropped me off at the OBPC later in the day so I could walk back to Bushy Beach. When I got down to the bottom of the “penguin” ramp I noticed a young Elephant Seal on the rocks.
I managed to take a couple of photos before he/she slid off the rocks and went back to sea, lovely. Beach watch; It was a better watch although it took a while to get going. A total of 8 Yellow-eyed Penguins were seen coming ashore. The real action was around the viewing platform with excellent viewing for all those who were present after 4.30pm.
At one point there were 2 adults (19558 & 18193) and 1 juvenile close to the VP. 
It must be a school sports week in Oamaru as I had two seperate loads of youngsters descend on the viewing area. The first group were lead by a pair of teachers who let those in their charge climb over fences and go where they shouldn’t be going. How do you expect folk to have respect when those educating the kids don’t. Doh! The second group while better behaved weren’t interested in the wildlife.
Shame. Total visitor number was up at 65 including good folk George & Mary, and Ashley & Bill from Canada.
What a miserable day! Rained heavily during the night turning the penguin compound into a slushy mess. Rained on and off all day, yuk! Franki seemed happy enough paddling about in the mud, however if it is still raining tomorrow I may move her up onto one of our raised platform enclosures. Afternoon penguin watch- Ha! 3 hours and 3 penguins arrived! To be fair I saw 6 Yellow-eyed Penguins in the bushes when I did my beach walk 
and during the watch there were many views of birds on the hillside. It was a dismal damp watch and only 30 folk turned up for the show. Most did see something and I worked hard to ensure everybody got to see at least one penguin in the bush.
I spent a while watching an unbanded juvenile (9 months since hatching) huddled close to the viewing path, poor wee thing (rationally it was in good condition).
Enjoyed chatting to returnee photographers Wendy & Karen, sorry the views weren’t better ladies. BTW The rainfall made the path treacherous and the mud was horrid.
Overcast and chilly Sunday morning gave me a chance to sort out and upload some footage taken on the camcorder over the past few days. So there is one of a penguin coming ashore, some more Yellow-eyed Penguin song and finally a video taken by Sue showing how well Franki feeds these days. Beach; It was a poor afternoons viewing today, windy and cold with few penguins about. I counted 10 Yellow-eyed Penguins coming ashore between 3pm & 6pm and there was little sight of penguins in the bushes.
I was double wrapped to keep warm and was surprised to meet Gabe from the USA sporting shorts! I had another nightmare French family with the usual out of control kids but happily ended the watch in the company of the well behaved Miller family from Western Australia. They were the lucky ones as they watched the dead cabbage tree pair mutually preening.
After attending to Franki Sue & I had an awayday (well until 2pm), we drove down the coast keeping a look out in case we were lucky enough to spot a Southern Right Whale. There have been reports of them off the coast this week but we didn’t see anything. ( I saw a couple 2 years ago on a similar outing). Ingrid did the beach watch and saw only 7 Yellow-eyed Penguins come in but did spot another 6 at various positions on the hillside.
After a good gym session I had an excellent walk along the usual beaches. So good to be heading into spring and today was sunny and calm so it was a t-shirt walk, the first this year. (Well not calendar year but I have difficulty adjusting to the idea of spring in Sept). Took this shot of the black Oyster Catchers on the rocks for a change, they normally patrol the waters edge.
I am continuing to tinker with the Frog but haven’t gone for the full photo design job yet.
Looks good for the beach watch. (BTW All well with Franki.) Beach later; Our Yellow-eyed Penguins have started nesting which is shown by the dramatic drop in the numbers of birds arriving from the sea. Only 8 seen today between 3.30pm and 6pm compared with the 20-25 birds seen lately. The rest of the colony must be spending quality time in the bushes! The visitors were scarce on the ground as well with only 24 coming to see the show on a lovely sunny afternoon. Even although the number arriving was poor there were still great sights and sounds after 5pm with YEps close by in the bush. I enjoyed the company of a nice French foursome and had to tolerate the very noisy children of a German couple.
Glad to report that Franki is now feeding face on thereby removing the need for handling in the afternoon which is good. She still gets a bit of handling in the morning tho but it doesn’t affect her appetite for the salmon on offer. Sue and I did a few chores in town before I walked back to Bushy beach from the OBPC. It was a lovely sunny walk and I was lucky enough to see that two of my wee friends were back in their hidey hole in the rocks.
While I had the camera out I took this shot of a plump seal lying on the raised back of the beach.
I really should take more seal photos as they are my constant smelly companions on my walks. Back at Bushy Beach in the afternoon the Yellow-eyed Penguins were very slow coming in on such a bright sunny day. First ashore was at 4.01pm with another 13 seen by the time I left at 6.30pm. Great close action around the viewing platform after 5pm, again, made most of the visitors very happy indeed. The well behaved West family from Macclesfield, David & Sylvia from Auckland and the nice couple from Victoria all went away well contented with their Bushy Beach penguin experience.
Such a shame that some folk (like a lady I saw last night who was not too steady on her feet) are unable to come and see the wonderful Yellow-eyed Penguins at Bushy Beach because of the state of the path. It’s a real shame that the track has not been properly cleared since the slips occurred at the end of May. (Track closed 29-05).
Must be really frustrating for folk especially when the notice board tells them there is wheelchair access. Quiet day here. Franki still behaving and improving. I walked the usual beaches and all was good. I did the penguin watch from 3.30pm until 6pm but only managed to see 16 Yellow-eyed Penguins come in. I’m sure I missed a few probably due to the combination of high tide at 4pm and birds close to the path early on. A bigger crowd of 41 today but all were well behaved and appreciative. Especially enjoyed chatting to Beccy & Jasmine, both are vets having a busman’s holiday with our vet Becci.