I was up and out on the road at ridiculous o clock with the
prospect of catching Yellow Eyed Penguin as they make their way out to feeding
grounds from Nugget Point. The journey was a dark and interesting one but I
arrived in good time to set up in the hide before dawn. The only element that
did not show were the penguins either that or they slipped out without me
noticing!
I spent the majority of the day on penguin and albatross
watch with a snooze break before my afternoon vigil. There was a steady flow of
albatross throughout the day Royal, and Buller’s, Giant Petrel, Sooty and
Fluttering Shearwater were noted but I have some photos to examine to confirm
some of the above.
The day continued in the hide whilst the sun beamed down
outside. People visited the hide some daring to talk to the crazy bloke dressed
to the nines in his winter wear! No penguins seen was the tone of the
conversation but for much of the day 0800 to 1500hrs I did not really expect to
see one but would not leave just in case a moulting adult ventured out to
stretch its flippers!
At 1600hrs grew closer human traffic through the hide
increased but then a penguin was spied having snuck though the thick seaweed
and bounced on to the beach at my left. Wow panic stations camera went into
overdrive and then the shout was put up in the hide! Well I don’t know where
everyone came from but within minutes the hide was packed to the rafters as
penguin number one bounced up the stoney beach stopping to call number two to
shore before disappearing into a burrow!
Yellow Eyed Penguin number two was more obliging exiting the
water then returning to it having a swim in the shallows before bouncing up the
beach towards a large tree trunk. There was plenty of room to go round but the
penguin bounced onto the trunk and slid off it back to where it had started.
Why
go round when you can bounce over it even if it takes a few attempts. This
caused amusement in the hide but the penguin made it calling over to number one
before disappearing down another burrow.
I rattled off two hundred pictures and had to stop myself
shaking with excitement at the beginning but inside I was doing cartwheels. I
held on to a wahoo until I got back to the car and then I re-lived the journey back
to Invercargill in daylight this time!
Penguins are fantastic creatures and I wish I could see more
of them but I don’t think they will be colonizing the UK any time soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment