Push the Petrel!

Well, I am now fitting effortlessly into West Coast living... got the house sorted, got the "sweet as" expression down to a fine art, and now I'm rescuing Petrels!

As I was pottering back to my cabin to get some maintenance started on the house, I drove past a bird on the side of the road, which in itself out here is not uncommon. However I did a double take as I drove past as I realised this one was a Westland Black Petrel - the specific species we are trying to protect with our replanting project here in Punakaiki.

They nest in the hills behind our project site (and my new house I learnt yesterday) but often get thrown off by light when they fly in at dusk to nest (well they would have evolved over 1000's of years without any lights around, so you can understand their issue with people shining lights around!). This little fella looks like he may have had that problem, and may even have wandered back to the road over the course of a day or two.

He was a little distressed, but didn't have any major injuries as he was spreading his wings as he waddled along (they need to hop off a cliff to take off, they can't take off from flat land). So, having managed to flag down a couple of cars to avoid him being schmooshed on the road, it happened that one of the ladies was a bird sanctuary worker! We picked the fella up, popped him in a bag, and I drove him up to the DOC workshop and picked up one of the DOC staff along the way.

He's now being looked after by DOC, may have to see a vet if he's injured, but may be 'launched' tonight from the flat rock close to home.

Sam's Petrel Saves to date: 2

**Update since I started writing this post**

Our Petrel was launched! Complete with backdrop of interested North American onlookers (another ISV team) Deb from DOC and I placed the little fella out on the flat "Punakaiki Launching Rock" and watched as he slowly pottered around, flapped his wings a few times, then sat for a good 10 minutes just looking out at the sea below, the crashing waves, and the cars driving past. Then, before we knew it, the little fella just leapt off the cliff, in the ever scary dive-bomb style before pulling up and off to the horizon to meet his buddies. Happy with that.