A dead penguin was sadly found last week at Camerons Beach, near the entrance from Pandora Avenue. It gives us a very unpleasant reminder to raise more awareness for the upcoming penguin season and for everyone to please keep dogs under control whilst anywhere near any beach.
People may be inclined to think it’s only one bird out of many, but this just simply isn’t true for us over on the West Coast and our kororā. With only approximately 22 breeding pairs of little penguins at Camerons Beach, and this being one of the largest colonies on the West Coast, this dead penguin found last week was a very sad sight and one which will have a knock on effect to the numbers at this colony.
Unfortunately this penguin was not picked up so we couldn’t scan it for a microchip to identify it. We have microchipped the majority of the birds at this colony last year and so, for the first time in this location, we will be able to see who didn’t come home for the breeding season and whose partner will be waiting for them to return.
Last season, we had between 26 and 30 chicks fledge from the colony at Camerons Beach and we hope, with raised awareness and protection, this number will rise.
Please keep our kororā colony safe this winter by keeping your dogs under control so they never meet a penguin (or any wildlife) on the beach or in the bushes without you being able to call them back. Thank you for your help and support.
Lucy Waller, Ranger, West Coast Penguin Trust
While materials were chosen that would stand up to the harsh coastal conditions, those same coastal conditions are conducive to plant growth! Occasional checks of the fences have been carried out by volunteers and rangers so that any maintenance needs can be identified and remedied. The never-ending need for maintenance is managing the vegetation that can grow through the fence, for example gorse, blackberry and hydrangea, pushing it to breaking point in places, or flop over causing damage from the weight of rank grass, rushes and weeds such as montbretia.
Volunteers recently spent a few hours tidying up the main fence along Woodpecker Bay north of Punakaiki so a big shout out to them - thank you Fiona, Jony, Reef, Katrina, Mandy, Marty, Teresa and Deb! Flax had been pressing down on the fence, but now the fence has been freed up by these wonderful volunteers - and they picked up a fair bit of rubbish too.
Volunteer Natassja Savidge has offered to check and help maintain the Hokitika penguin protection fence and joined Ranger Lucy Waller and Manager Inger Perkins in May to inspect the length of the fence. Some minor issues were found but the main finding was the extent of the vegetation growth that was damaging the fence in places. Big thanks to Natassja!
