Today Was for the Birds

We got up and made some coffee.  We're getting good at making plunger coffee.  I know it's been a European thing for a long time, but I've never actually made it.  All the rooms we've had have plunger coffee and the plunger and kettle.  Not bad.

We walked to a breakfast cafe about a kilometre down the street.  We needed the walk back afterward.  This was HALF a pancake order.  But it was stuffed with fruit, so then it doesn't count?

Today we wanted to spend time out on the Otago Peninsula.  This juts out and wraps around a bit to create a large, protected harbour for Dunedin.  But what's really cool about it is all the birds it is home to.  We purchased tickets to see both the Albatross Centre and Penguin Place, both at set times. Once that was done, we headed off to see some of the peninsula and grab some lunch.

These trees have large multi-rooted trunks and they curve over the road.  They don't look like they're going to be standing much longer.



This peninsula is absolutely beautiful to drive around.  Lots of sights like this.



The lambs were interested in the sights (us), but mama didn't care for us and turned her butt to us.



So first we went to the Penguin Place.  It's a privately owned penguin centre where they are trying to protect the yellow-eyed penguin, which is endangered.  There are only about 3,000 left in the world, and only 100-200 of them here.  They also operate a penguin hospital for those injured or suffering from malnutrition, etc.

Just as we were about to head out to see a penguin (we would be lucky to see one), we heard a report that a penguin had just come out of the water onto the beach.  This beach in particular.



So our guide knew exactly where the penguin would be coming over the dunes.  And there he was!

These penguins are loners, except when mating and raising their chicks.  He was so funny walking down the dune.  He'd waddle along, then do a little hop to get down a little ledge.  Waddle, hop.

And this is how we got to watch him.  It's a series of trenches they have built with a sort of shelter where we can only see out 6-inch slots.  The penguins won't be afraid if we're only 6 inches tall.

We saw the nesting areas they had, but only one penguin in a nest with 2 chicks.  That was it.  The picture didn't turn out so well.  We then walked out over the area where there were Blue Penguin nests too.  There were lots of these guys, but impossible to get a photo.  I got one of this seal lazing about in the grass though.

Next we went to the Royal Albatross Centre to see a rare bird that makes its home in either this part of the South Island of New Zealand or islands way far to the east of here.

 A skeleton of an albatross.  A wing span of over 9 metres.

So our guide took us out to where the albatrosses are hanging out and nesting.  This is one on a nest.  Apparently the egg was just laid the day before.

And while we were there, the male (or it could have been vice versa, 'cause they trade off duties), came along.  They'll both be there for a bit, then the other one will take off to get food.  The one remaining sits on the egg until the other one comes back.

It was a great day for experiencing some New Zealand wildlife.  The only mammals native to New Zealand were a couple of different kinds of bats.  That was it.  All others were birds, and about 50 species are now extinct.  They have all kinds of traps here as well for the rats, stoats, weasels, opossums, etc., introduced by man.