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News Eastbourne Forest Rangers (EFR) Little Penguin (Korora) Fluttering Shearwater Volunteers - Two Events In One! Nature Connection Videos End of Translocation Stage Pub Crawling Chick Fond Farewells The Big Clean-Up Be In To Win Video of Fluttering Shearwater Chick Exercising!! Visits to Makaro and Mokopuna Islands A Perfect Rainbow!! WOW, what a night!!! - December 2015 The chick has fledged - January 2016 Mutton birds on Matiu/Somes Island Gull Banding 2015 – 2016 Visit to Makaro Island – November 2016 Diving Petrel on Matiu/Somes Island 2016/17 fluttering shearwater breeding season ends
13 January 2016
After the excitement of the December overnight visit, January was very quiet by comparison. Only one bird came in during the evening and this was a regular visitor.
However a 2013 chick caught for the first time in December was found in a burrow during the day. This was surprising as adults found in burrows during the day (without sitting on an egg or chick) is not common at all.
The chick in burrow 15 was alive and very well fed. He weighed 478 gms which is significantly heavier than adults. He still had plenty of down so won’t be fledging for another two weeks or so.
23 January 2016 – Wellington Anniversary Weekend
As I was staying on Matiu/Somes Island over Wellington Anniversary Weekend with friends, I visited the colony. Three adult shearwaters visited the colony one night.
The chick was still present weighing 442 gms on Saturday. It had lost all it’s down and was ready to go. By Monday after being out of his burrow exercising his wings at night his weight had dropped to 427 gms. DOC rangers checked on him the following day and on Wednesday morning, he had gone - fledged. This is the second chick to be born on the island. Both have the same parents and have now fledged. The wait now begins to see when they will return.