Little Penguins on Montague Island

A little penguin hiding in its burrow

Little chick out looking for mum

Closing the lid after viewing

During regeneration habitats are placed out

The Little Penguin or Fairy Penguin, estimates 8.000 breeding pairs on Montague Island (third largest colony in Australia) They are underwater acrobats, wings become flippers acting as efficient paddles.
Their wedge-shaped bodies zoom through the water. Under water their short legs transform into well designed rudders.

Happy Couples:
They mate for life, they nest in the same burrow each year, they usually lay two eggs.
They share their jobb, every 1 to 4 days one parent will come to replace the other in the burrow until the chicks hatch.
Parents then take turns to guard and feed the chicks until one week old then both parents fish every day to feed rapidly growing chicks until they fledge after two months. To ensure that at least one chick survives they feed one until it is completely satisfied and then they feed the other chick.

They are a part of a food chain and can become meals from white breasted eagles and fur seals. Penguins biggest threat are people and dogs! Thats is why we are so fortunate to be able to be here and observe these beautiful creatures on the island.

Penguins shed all their feathers once a year in january to march. Their new suit of feathers  developes over 3 weeks.

Our experience:
We sat on the rocks at night and saw them come up from the sea and walk to their burrows. We could not take flash pictures so this is documented in our heads. The waves were quite big as it was blowing this evening (They have probably gone through much worse weather). They come together in what is called a raft when coming on to shore. It seems that they wait for their group members before they start their walk up the penguin highway to their burrows. As we sat there, the penguins marched up around us (we had to keep still not to disturb them).They go quite far up the hill and all around the island in a short time.
Overhead the Shearwater birds flew back to their nests. They fly beautiful acrobatics at sea but land clumsily - quite exciting to watch. They were still laying on their eggs.