Penguin plight

Concern is held for the well -being of the endangered yellow-eyed penguin at Southland Forest and Bird's ( F&B) Te Rere Private Scientific Reserve in the Catlins, with this nesting year predicted to be a bad one for penguin productivity based on the nest search information. This follows a poor season last year and an indication that there have also been adult penguins dying, Southland Forest and Bird yellow- eyed penguin advisory group member, Brian Rance said.

A small group of committed F&B members undertook the annual count early in December as they have been doing for about 25 years there. The first team of four set off from Invercargill at 8.30am, arriving at the isolated site on the rocky east coast about 10.00am and were met by a large sea lion which was inquisitive about the interlopers to its territory.

They were based at  the two regular sites in order to  count the penguins making a return to their  nest in the undergrowth, bringing back food for the chicks which they had gathered at sea. The adult birds swap duties with the other one of the pair then take a turn to go out to sea for food. Males and females share the duties. They are very secretive birds so the native vegetation planted there over the past 25 years  provides excellent habitat.

"It was raining all day and cool, however conditions improved for the second group which picked up the count from 4pm to 10pm," Rance said.

The number of adult birds coming in during the count day are taken as the best estimate of the adult numbers at the site.

"From the results of our December count day this year we could estimate 49 adults present," he said. "This figure has varied from 46 to 66 over the last 6 years, down from the highs of over 70 adults which had shown recovery after the disastrous 1995 fire."

This does support the fears of a moderate decline in adult numbers at Te Rere. Only 12 nests had been found but the searchers believe there are possibly 14 in the reserve. There were  still many more birds present than indicated by the nests with several non-nesting birds found scattered through the reserve.

"The adult birds observed during the nest search generally appeared in good condition and the chicks appeared healthy, " he said. "One of the concerns was that there were no juvenile birds observed coming in from the sea meaning there may not be young birds joining the breeding population there although they could be elsewhere on the coast."

"The hopeful aspect was that about half of the nests seemed to have two healthy chicks, with no chick mortality to date, " Rance said. " We checked all the predator traps, finding a hedgehog and a young male stoat but no rats."

"The annual monitoring will continue, along with regular pest control and more planting, in the hope that conditions at sea will improve and the endangered yellow – eyed penguin numbers will rise to ensure the on- going life in this special breeding  colony, " Rance said. "Fortunately Te Rere is one of the breeding sites in Otago Southland area with an increase over last year's low with no sign of avian diphtheria which is encouraging."

Jenny's Uganda newsletter 1&2

Kia ora e hoa. Well warm temps continue and we are in a great house with basic facilities but perfect for us- cold shower but fine in these temps!

I cooked up one of my omelettes for each of us last night with yummy local veg- tomatoes, onion, local cheese, green peppers.... yum.

Yesterday we went to a preschool with about 25 children- learning their local language and english- using slate boards and chalk. In a hut with mud floors, basic wooden desks and no resources. From things people gave us to bring we were about to give each child a dress, skirt  or shirt. Also knickers, pencils, balls to kick, skipping ropes, sunhats..... They had a ball in the playground kicking balls, skipping, running and chasing...

Seeing their faces was a treat! Such gorgeous smiles, sang us  heaps of songs, clapped heaps...  and joined in with us singing 'This is the day' and in maori  'Tenei te ra.' Very humbling.

Today we went to 3 homes with children with special needs- blind, deaf and cerebral palsy caused by malaria. These and other children get support  through the Foundation eg meds to help with preventing epilepsy, hearing aids, physio to help with building muscular strength, special chair to give physical support....

One young deaf man now 17 was given a goat 4 years ago and now he has bred them up & has 13. Next step is to sell them and buy a cow- better outcomes  as can get calves to sell, milk and meat. Can mean a better house with this better income... Foundation supported him with a new bed, mattress and blanket.

I am  a bit distracted as we are setting the budget for next year with guidance from a guy from UK who is a volunteer adviser- accountant! He is a gem- been here for 3 weeks- all at his own expense.

Progress is being made!

The work being done by Rwenzori special Needs Foundation is incredible! I am soooo impressed. One local  guy and his mother have got all this going and it a real credit to them. My friend Dot in Inver is backing them- so looks like lots more cheese roll making coming up!

Having a great time  learning so much! Of course I know how blessed I am - but this confirms it for me even more!

More adventures ahead for the next fortnight.

We are all on fire for Rwenzori-= so watch out Dot and Lois say!

Go well and feel free to pass on this email to nayone who might be interested.

rangimarie, Jenny







Rwenzori newsletter 2/ 14 July 2016

Kia ora e hoa ma, Well it is still a pleasant 26 degrees. We are settled in to a house together – basic but comfy beds, toilets- in fact 2 and 2 cold showers – but fine as it is so warm.
We have had very full on days, going around seeing the offices, families, schools, gardens, pig farms etc.
What a huge amount of work the Rwenzori Special Needs Foundation (RSNT)  are doing with a  minimum of staff. Project Manager Daniel and his mother ( who is a school principal & is actually doing the equivalent of ERO visits this week!), set up this wonderful scheme in conjunction/ with support of Dot Muir from Invercargill.
On the smell of an oily rag they are doing amazing things. They have employed a Social Worker and two people who train teenagers on vocational courses eg tailoring, hairdressing.
Over the last 2 days :- we went to see several families who had a child with a special need. These  included being deaf, blind and having cerebral palsy all resulting from malaria when they were tiny children. Also a 9 year old with epilepsy who can attend school now RSNT is supporting with medication.

Brian who is deaf is now 17 was given a goat at age 13 by RSNT and he now has 13 beautiful  animals. Thinking of selling them for a cow! He is a full time farmer. So proud as is his mother.

The others are getting support in their homes and parents being guided with options, physiotherapy, exercises and basic needs like assistance with school uniforms. RSNT social worker is a young woman with a heart for these children and  has a degree from  Kampala University which qualifies her to assess, refer on etc. She seems to be the link in connecting them with services the families may not know about, and getting them to appointments, supporting them at Drs and helping with explanations. She is on a minute salary but worked here as a volunteer for about 3 years as she is so committed- she saw her niece with hydrocephalus   and how a social worker could have helped so much.
We went to a pre-school as well- 3 classes from 4-6 years. Classrooms tiny with 4year olds on a mat on the dirt floor and older ones with basic desks. Very limited resources eg 2 posters. Learning English and their own language – using a slate board and chalk. Some of the children had awful coughs. Their lovely shiny faces, winning smiles, and flashing bright eyes totally won our hearts! We gave them the dresses, hats and shirts which Myra from Invercargill had given us. Just tried them over their school uniform and they kept them on!  So proud. Then we had the footballs, soccer balls, wee bats and balls, pencils, skipping ropes, - they had a fab time playing, laughing, kicking and of course we joined in. They sang us some of their songs and we sang ours- especially ‘This is the day- Tenei te ra.’’They joined in too.
We met the volunteer UK consultant accountant who has been here for 3 weeks finding out about RSNT and making recommendations about how to be accountable. Keep accurate records and making very dollar spin as far as possible for RSNT. He was a real trick and kept us all on our toes. We helped with a budget for the next year and made some commitments to support them some more from NZ- so watch out cheese rolls brigade! He went home today feeling very pleased with the results of his time here and how he had met all the commitments he had made to help RSNT. He will keep in touch by email and support over the year as needed for advice.
He gave me the left over time on his modem stick so I am very spoilt.
Today we had a day off and went to local caves   with stalactites and stalagmites along with a lovely waterfall and our guide told us of the stories and myths associated with them and their history. They are trying to develop Fort Portal in to a tourist area around some of these natural features. We then walked for about 2 ½  hours  up hills and down dales( across farmland – banana plantations, cows, veg gardens ….. ) and around old volcano craters and lakes as well as up a very steeeep hill to get good views. About 26 degrees! A secondary school had its students out for the day too so we talked with them- apparently they all speak English as well as one of four local dialects.

We visited Daniel’s home tonight- one small room with a bed, cot for his 18 month old daughter, a table, and cooking facility was a charcoal burner with one pot. Everything else was communal eg toilet, shower, washing facilities…. Dot went in there and found it very emotional seeing the way he lives. This one room is behind their wee clothes ‘shop’ run by his wife, all rented.  Humbling.
Just keeping you all posted! Please circulate to others who might be interested.
Thoughts and prayers,
Rangimarie, Jenny, Lois, Dot, Alison and Margot



On Tuesday, 12 July 2016 3:27 PM, Gillian Swift wrote:


hi Jenny, wish it that warm here! another good frost last night.  Packing all finished, Jamie & family in Wellington.  I think they have a house to rent in lower Hutt.  Gosh I will miss them.  Enjoy yourself and take care, blessings Gillian

From: Jenny Campbell
Sent: Monday, July 11, 2016 5:53 PM
To: Corwin Newall ; Steve and Mandy Newall ; Adrianne Stewart ; Sandra Romero ; Fiona Newall ; David and Chris Henderson ; Gillian Swift ; Bruce & Sonya ; Sr Judith ; Marie Lockie ; Carmen Campbell ; Stephen Price
Subject: Re: On my way from Sydney!

Yes now in Kampala & 26 degrees. Stayed in hotel overnight with huge canopy to keep mossies out- I heard one! Huge dinner- I could not eat it all- fish rice and veg. We had ahd lots of meals on planes of course. Saw several movies- well parts of them- between nodding off!

Very tired after 27 hours of travel- but have done it before so know I will be fine by tomorrow! I love sitting at airport watching people. All full of shops with 'stuff' though! No recycling in Dubai airport!

Had a walk around local suburb last night ( Sun) -  very noisy, lots of stalls trading and quite a rough area- big drains to catch water when it pours obviously- heaps of big vehicles, motorbikes and few bikes, Chldren loved Hi 5 to us!

No dogs or cats that I noticed.Very green here.

Feel free to send around other who might want an update. Not sure how well connected to email we will be at next place- where we are at the Rwenzori special needs project- hopefully doing some 'work'!

Heaps of interesting people in queues doing great  things around the world.

Sandra- baby???

Off by van to our  'work site' to day- about 5 hours away- Fort Portal. The van is one Dot organised by raising money in Southland. it goes well. Driver picked us up at airport and negotiated traffic with ease= plenty of practice I figure.

Hope to keep you posted as I go. Of course was still writing articles for newspaper from Sydney- even managed to send with help of foreign currency young woman! What a gem.

Go well and safely as we are! Hope frosts not tooooo bad at home. Fab seeing family at CHCH airport too- thanks for coming!

Rangimarie, blessings hope and joy to you all,

Jenny

Jenny's Uganda newsletter no3

 Newsletter 3 from Uganda-    bit long sorry but last one before I hit home on Thurs!


Hi family and friends. Not sure where the last 2 weeks have gone but  it is count -down to home now! Leave Fort Portal on Mon to Kampala overnight and plane Tues to Dubai. Home Thurs night in time for Enviro Southland Awards! Thought we were home Fri- so that’s a bonus!
3 of group going on a safari from Sun. We have had one day off going to the falls, caves and walking over- up and down- volcano craters but since then it has been all go!
3 days visiting families in their villages with a child with special needs and looking at goats, pigs and cow raising projects alongside veg gardens- with young people who are making progress and been in the scheme for a few years now ( Rwenzori Special Needs Foundation =RSNF-started in 2011 by Dot Muir of Invercargill). They so proud of what they are doing supported by their families- often mother, aunty or grandmother taking care in a 2-3 roomed brick hut with a mud floor- clean but basic. Cooking and washing done outside and water carted daily in plastic containers – often by the children. No grumping- just part of what they do!
We had two full days with the open air assessments with 3 Doctors from Kampala. General practitioner, Ambrose, eye specialist Nelson ( keen to come and see our Nelson!) and Steve, orthopaedic. Also had OT from a Child Development Centre, Patrick or David, helping with future therapy needs. We sat on the grass on mats under the trees  or tarpaulins – one day in a public park next to a school with over 400 primary pupils and were able to use one classroom for eye specialist, and next day outside at a country medical centre with one room for eye specialist.

People lined up, sat on the grass and waited for hours with their children. So patient. The Drs were so respectful, engaged, compassionate but straight with the parents/ gran/ aunty in telling them what was needed. Saw about 500 children over the two days- some just needed referral for physio, others glasses, some just diet help, and others urgent needs eg cancer of the eye, glaucoma and cataracts so losing their sight in their one good eye, hydrocephalus and needing drains, along with others with less urgent needs eg club foot needing callipers and special shoe, hunch back needing physio and others needing help with walking because of joint and muscular dystrophy. Parents were so appreciative of being able to be seen by a doctor and to have some hope that their children will be given the appropriate treatment they need very soon.
Now the real work starts with follow ups of about 50 children, 10 urgent cases to be seen by middle of Aug  but with our limited finances we probably can’t help them all. The operations once they get to hospitals are mostly free (except for some big orthopaedic operations on  legs, club foot, …) but the costs which they don’t have the resources to provide for themselves and their child are getting to the hospital, food while they are at hospital along with food for their child, and accommodation costs as well as the costs of the support person eg a social worker while at hospital- who helps with all the forms, language barriers and arranging follow up….  These are the costs RSNF covers so the children can get the operations they need.
We are now working on our priority list and how many of them we can actually support now. Many difficult decisions to be made.
Since then we have spent quite a bit of time on the budget, trying to stretch it even further.
WE bought some material so the vocational sewing/ tailoring students could make some aprons for us to bring home. They made 13 and the straight line sewing and finished products all gave them a real buzz. Photos aplenty of course!  Hairdressing students did Margot’s hair- soooo different from their very curly hair with the tight plaiting which they attach and form buns, top knots or add beads. Mind you they do look gorgeous.

We have been taking our food scraps- mostly fruit and veg peelings – to their centre where they have the garden dug but waiting for wet season to plant. We have been trenching and putting in the scraps to build up the compost and help retain the moisture. There seem to have been short sharp thunderstorms quite regularly at night and a few during the daytime. Luckily we have been inside.
We had one Fri night out- going to a local cultural event- the equivalent of Miss NZ show- about 30 years ago in NZ! It was hilarious and soooo late! 3am home! Granny not up to it! Traditional dances, singing, drums etc. They crowned Miss Tooro –a regional winner for promoting tourism in the area. They are hoping to increase tourism in the Fort Portal area with guided tours to national parks, the falls, volcano craters, hot pools…..
We went to a primary school yesterday which is mainstreamed-about 50 students with special needs eg deaf, blind, in wheelchairs, club foot, or slow learners, were all in regular classes but sometimes they get together in their special classroom for their individual tuition/ needs eg signing for deaf, braille for blind.  The children sang us an action song very enthusiastically and we responded. They all got some pencils ( coloured and lead) which many of you had donated and the children were very appreciative – thank you. Alison had some fire brigade balloons which she blew up and a few children were lucky enough to get one!
It was their lunchtime so we went to the boarding school section for the special needs children- about 22 living there for the term- then go home for holidays. A woman had been cooking the lunch over a charcoal fire- huge cauldron of maize ‘heavy bread’, beans in red sauce. They had a huge bowl of these goodies each and then it was topped off with   huge avocado from their own trees. We have since bought 10 at 10c each! Sumptuous! The children let me have a swing – even gate crashing the queue- I love swinging. In the playground I had them all joining in ’If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands…’etc. They cottoned on really quickly and I had a huge crowd all grinning, laughing and thinking I was ….??? Others did fun things with them too. Principal rang the bell otherwise we would have been there all day! Fun. So enthusiastic and delighted we visited and took an interest. It is next to a teachers’ college so is used for training as well.
Followed up with a drive in to the mountains on a windy road towards the Congo. Mountain streams, terraced gardens with a great variety of crops all hand tilled – real patchwork scenes on steep hillsides. We walked down a steep slope and marvelled at seeing their efforts to eke out a living- many were refugees apparently who had settled a long time ago and are now naturalised.
We visited relatives of the project manager to say our farewells today as the 3 other women went off on their safari and Margot and I wandered around Fort Portal seeing the people relaxing on a Sunday, took in another church service at the Cathedral in their local language. They recognised us of course even though we sneaked in late at  the back – mind you- how could you miss two older very white women in a sea of black faces, in casual clothes with back packs and they were in their Sunday best! They thanked us again for the Mossburn church chalice and paten and did a show and tell and we got another round of applause! – all the way from New Zealand!

I found a ‘Science Centre’ with lots of bird books, books on Uganda and bits of skeletons of various animals eg birds, frogs, elephants, snakes. Students come for projects from local primary and secondary schools- a very meagre library compared with any in NZ but obviously well used! We had an ice cream and watched the locals  - fascinating- as they obviously find us as well – especially children. We have been doing lots of ‘Hi 5s’!
We have a wee bonus now as change of plans getting to Entebbe airport could mean being able to stand astride the equator!
Time to stop- this is my last opportunity to use internet before we get to CHCH on Thurs afternoon.
Please send this missive around anyone who might be interested. Am certainly getting my education extended and so grateful I live in Aotearoa. I am holding the hope for these gorgeous welcoming people. Their hearts yearn for another way and opportunities for themselves and their young people-  but their faith in a God of love is humbling to see.
Rangimarie, blessings, hope and joy.
Jenny

Wilding tree working bee 2016

Members of the Wilding pine working bee moved across the tops at Cattle Flat station, pulling out seedlings.

On Saturday ( 19 March) 13 people spent the day admiring some of the best views in Southland while they cleared 10 hectares of wilding trees, organiser of the event, Environment Southland Senior Biosecurity officer Randall Milne said.

"The Mid Dome Wilding Trees Charitable Trust, in conjunction with Environment Southland held the wilding tree work day on Cattle Flat Station this time," he said. " Cameron Young from Cattle Flat Station was there and spoke about life on the station and the importance of controlling wilding trees."

The group worked along the ridge of the Matuara Range which is a significant take off area for the seeds of any wilding trees which get to a seeding age. He said that every plant which is pulled out, especially before it produces seeds, helps prevent wilding trees becoming spread further.

 Over the previous weekend students from the Environmental Management degree course worked on the Keen property of Tomogalak, north of Balfour . Over that weekend they removed 3,100 pines from an area that had been cleared twice before over the past nine years.

Twelve people including their tutor Ross Ramsay not only worked hard but also all had a great time. "The wilding pines have grown from seeds released from trees planted on Mid Dome for preventing erosion there," Milne said. " This working bee by the students added to the efforts of the day's work organised by ES last Saturday."

 Both working bees helped the Mid Dome Wilding Trees Charitable Trust achieve its aims of eradicating the wilding pines which are causing so much havoc, especially to the west of Mid Dome.

The Mid Dome Trust holds two wilding tree work days each year and anyone interested in helping can contact Randall Milne at Environment Southland (Phone 03 2115115, or Email Randall.Milne@es.govt.nz)

Film Reel Life remembers Real Life

Nga Taonga , Jane Paul, Wallace Drummond, Craig Drummond, Pouhere Taonga , Jonathan Howard and Hannah Drummond at thefilm screenings held at Drummond's historic woolshed at Five Rivers  17 February.

The rain pattering on the roof along with the odd leak, the smell of damp wool, the dimly lit woolshed  and about 80 mainly rural people in farming attire, all created a real life atmosphere for a film series of excerpts from historic footage as part of the Travelling Film Show at Drummond's woolshed last Wednesday night.

Nga Taonga Sound and Vision along with Heritage  New Zealand, Pouhere Taonga brought the programme to four venues in the South Island, including Five Rivers' woolshed. Wallace Drummond explained that the Five Rivers run was taken up in 1857 with the woolshed built soon after and restored by him about three years ago.

Heritage New Zealand, Pouhere Taonga Otago/ Southland Area Manager, Jonathan Howard said with the best turn out to date, the fantastic significant historic agricultural venue and  the partnership with the Drummond family, it meant people would remember the event, the venue and hospitality for years to come.

"People can see the effort the Drummonds have gone to, to preserve and maintain the woolshed and homestead," he said. " Nga Taonga and Heritage NZ both want to tell stories, honour heritage and use some of Nga Taonga's large collection of about 7000 titles to do this."

Memories were evoked by excerpts covering old methods of sheep dipping, blade shearing, mustering, sheep dog trials, wool and its uses, fruit growing in Central Otago and various methods of trying to eradicate rabbits with 1300 the largest number killed in one rabbit drive. The audience had a good chuckle at Footrot Flats and Fred Dagg musing over daylight saving. Southland featured with Invercargill A & P Show, packing and exporting frozen rabbit meat from Bluff alongside  Peter and Elsie Lyons from Alexandra explaining how they ran 21 shearing gangs.

Garston farmer Jenny Tayler said she found the atmosphere really built up to what was coming through being in an historic place related to agricultural production.

" It was all very nostalgic for me, covering aspects of farming I remembered from my childhood as well as from stories my father and grandfather told me ," she said." The supportive crowd appreciated the professional presentation, on a large screen with perfect sound, the fact they had brought it around to the country people and I hope they do it again."

Entrepreneurs at Glengarry bike day

 Heilala Pita , 8, listens to  her sister Onevai Pita, 10, about how her ideas will raise the money they need for their secret project

The Glengarry community and bike enthusiasts from across the city showed their support for the  initiative of Rebecca Amundsen who organised a fun day last Sunday ( 14 Feb) which took many people back to the days when Glengarry had its own cycling club.

Old and young alike took part in the various criterium grade races interspersed with opportunities for fun events for both children and adults to enter in to the spirit of the day.  With perfect weather conditions speed was a factor and spectators were treated to some keen competition.

Valentine’s day was celebrated with two member teams passing floral bouquets in a relay style two- lap race and setting a cracker pace as they covered the Glengarry circuit.

Veteran cyclist Ray Robinson was there for the memories of riding competitively in Invercargill and everywhere beyond as well from 1966 to 1971 and then started again in 1992. He joined in the races for run after doing a 70km training ride that morning.

Marshall for the day, Ann Grieve said she loved it all and especially the criterium races which were so professional.

" I could see young riders looking very skilled and being the budding competitive cyclists of the future," she said. " It was well organised by Becs with great support from many helpers and I think it should become an annual event."

With about 300 attending over the organised  cycling time followed by the musical event, Southern Sound, people took the opportunity to raise funds as well with food and other stalls.

Young entrepreneurs, sisters Heilala Pita, 8, and Onevai Pita, 10,  used a cat theme to draw 'caricatures' which resembled the person’s facial features, all for a dollar.

"We have  home- made toffee apples and other  lollies for sale and with our family’s help we are hoping to add to our secret fundraising  project and we have made $51 so far," Onevai said.

Amundsen said she was very grateful to all the people who helped as it was a team event.

"I appreciated Venture Southland and Cycling Southland people who did a lot of the organising, along with local residents who might have been put out by the road closure  and any businesses who were inconvenienced by that," she said. "It was lovely seeing some residents sitting on their street frontages under the trees, having a picnic and enjoying the action and lots of children enjoyed the playground."

Lumsden Community Garden

Keen holiday garden helpers, ( left) James Bayer, 11, Isabelle Bayer, 8 and Adam Bayer, 10,  enjoying harvesting some of the bountiful produce.

The emphasis is on nutritious, spray free fruit and vegetables, produced along organic principles, at the Lumsden Community garden organised under garden co-ordinator, Adele Woodford through Northern Southland Community Resource Centre Charitable Trust ( NSCRCCT).

"The garden is about supporting families in the community by giving them the opportunity to learn how to garden, how to meet family budgets and a place for new people to gather and get to know others," Woodford said. " The tunnel house provides more opportunities for new vegetables to be trialled."

It has a mixture of vegetables including courgettes, tomatoes and cucumber, with the first crop of lettuces already harvested.

"We even have a water melon plant in there and I wonder if I am dreaming wanting it to produce water melons down here, but we are hopeful," she said. " The strawberry plot is very popular with the children who have been watering for us over the holidays."

"We meet regularly on Tuesday afternoons from 1 to 3pm for working bees, to weed and plant," she said. "The raised garden beds have a mixture of plants and are very productive with us leaving the plants to seed so we have continuous cropping."

This year saw a good crop of rhubarb off two rows but even more could have been planted to meet the big demand as it was very popular. A lot of potatoes were planted last spring with them being a good staple crop for families.

"We do companion planting and vary and mix up the crops to confuse the bugs as well as leave plants to flower so they attract beneficial insects, before going to seed," she said. "The bug free vegetables are amazing."

"All our helpers are against sprays as we recognise their negative effect on bees and other beneficial insects, " Woodford said. "As we harvest, the regular helpers take some vegetables home and the rest are given to people who live alone, some families or Lumsden Senior citizens who appreciate the fresh produce."

The big compost bin is being used constantly but there never seems to be enough to keep the soil fertility replenished. There are four people who are regular helpers as they do not have a garden at home and more people seem to come in the winter to help when they are not so busy.

"We plant continuously, putting in new plants as spaces come available," Woodford said. " People are very generous with donating seeds and plants which we appreciate."

Penguin plight

Adult yellow- eyed penguin with 2 chicks at Te Rere Private Scientific Reserve in the Catlins.

Concern is held for the well -being of the endangered yellow-eyed penguin at Southland Forest and Bird’s ( F&B) Te Rere Private Scientific Reserve in the Catlins, with this nesting year predicted to be a bad one for penguin productivity based on the nest search information. This follows a poor season last year and an indication that there have also been adult penguins dying, Southland Forest and Bird yellow- eyed penguin advisory group member, Brian Rance said.

A small group of committed F&B members undertook the annual count early in December as they have been doing for about 25 years there. The first team of four set off from Invercargill at 8.30am, arriving at the isolated site on the rocky east coast about 10.00am and were met by a large sea lion which was inquisitive about the interlopers to its territory.

They were based at  the two regular sites in order to  count the penguins making a return to their  nest in the undergrowth, bringing back food for the chicks which they had gathered at sea. The adult birds swap duties with the other one of the pair then take a turn to go out to sea for food. Males and females share the duties. They are very secretive birds so the native vegetation planted there over the past 25 years  provides excellent habitat.

"It was raining all day and cool, however conditions improved for the second group which picked up the count from 4pm to 10pm," Rance said.

The number of adult birds coming in during the count day are taken as the best estimate of the adult numbers at the site.

"From the results of our December count day this year we could estimate 49 adults present," he said. "This figure has varied from 46 to 66 over the last 6 years, down from the highs of over 70 adults which had shown recovery after the disastrous 1995 fire."

This does support the fears of a moderate decline in adult numbers at Te Rere. Only 12 nests had been found but the searchers believe there are possibly 14 in the reserve. There were  still many more birds present than indicated by the nests with several non-nesting birds found scattered through the reserve.

"The adult birds observed during the nest search generally appeared in good condition and the chicks appeared healthy, " he said. "One of the concerns was that there were no juvenile birds observed coming in from the sea meaning there may not be young birds joining the breeding population there although they could be elsewhere on the coast."

"The hopeful aspect was that about half of the nests seemed to have two healthy chicks, with no chick mortality to date, "Rance said." We checked all the predator traps, finding a hedgehog and a young male stoat but no rats."

"The annual monitoring will continue, along with regular pest control and more planting, in the hope that conditions at sea will improve and the endangered yellow – eyed penguin numbers will rise to ensure the on- going life in this special breeding  colony, " Rance said. "Fortunately Te Rere is one of the breeding sites in Otago Southland area with an increase over last year’s low with no sign of avian diphtheria which is encouraging."