We all need to be heard for a little while.

Pyxis

Gingernutty wrote: »

Did someone say penguin.

From about 03:17 in. :rotfl:

Hahaha! Silly Benedict! It's not Pengwing! Everyone knows it's pinguing!

jobbingmusician

Ha ha!

Gingernutty

Yes whitewing. I take a multivitamin and extra Vitamin D.

geminilady

Gingernutty your link had me in stitches:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Gingernutty

Pyxis wrote: »

Hahaha! Silly Benedict! It's not Pengwing! Everyone knows it's pinguing!

jobbingmusician wrote: »

Ha ha!

geminilady wrote: »

Gingernutty your link had me in stitches:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

You're welcome.

Waves_and_Smiles

Penguin report-

It was wonderful! I was shocked to find penguins are extremely sociable birds! They won't leave you alone! They immediately run up to you and start attacking your shoes and jeans, they stand on your feet and peck! I fed a small colony of 12, there were another 12 in the colony but they were being kept quietly indoors as they had a vet check up that morning and they get scared after a vet visits and hate being poked and prodded. I was able to hand feed them, they swallow whole fish very quickly and stand in front of you with their mouths open for more! Then I got to cuddle one who was only 3 months old. He kept biting my fingers but fortunately it doesn't hurt at that age, he still had grey fluffy bits which are itchy so he appreciated it if you scratched them. Their feathers feel like wet cat fur, it is very thick and soft, not like feathers at all. They are also very squishy with a big layer of fat to keep them warm, they apparently eat 30 fish a day! I was told not to stroke them for the first 15 minutes because they get over-excited at a new person and nip. So I sat on the sand and let them climb and bite my clothes, eventually they calmed down a little and I could stroke their heads. The climbing is hilarious, it is mostly the babies who do this. They are very bad at it so they belly flop onto your ankle and then grab a bit of material or a finger in their beaks and pull themselves upwards until they can stand.

They were climbing onto my legs and pulling my hair, they really are amazingly friendly! One decided to sit behind me and kept pecking me on the bum! They have very young ones and ones who are 30 years old, I had no idea that they lived for that long. One decided to sit on my knee and scream in my face for a fish, they sound just like donkeys! Funniest part was if you cuddle them and talk to them lots they get excited and throw themselves in the water and swim and twist and dive really fast and then come running back for more attention. This is called porpoising which they do when they're happy. They are one of the most friendly birds I have ever met! Apparently they are just the same in the wild and if explorers approach a colony, penguins run over and surround them, they just like other creatures and have no fear at all!

They even gave me a cuddly penguin for free from the gift shop to take home because I loved them so much, I was there for an hour just sitting on the ground surrounded by them. You do have to be a little careful of the adults because their beaks are sharp but I didn't get hurt, it was only the babies that wanted to eat me!

There were no visitors at all, just WaSp and I and two keepers in an empty park so I was able to go blanket free. This is just as well because I am sure the penguins would have eaten a blanket. One got hold of my jumper sleeve, backed up and pulled for all he was worth. I have one sleeve longer than the other now!

They also cuddle into you for warmth, I had them pressed tightly against my legs and then another row of penguins behind those pressed close. There was also a new egg laid that morning and I saw it briefly as the parents exchanged egg sitting. They had made a little hole in pebbles and placed it in the middle but they told me to look from a distance because penguins poo on and around the egg for added warmth and then lie on it so the parents were a tad brown-feathered!. The sanctuary has a very high rate of births (which means the penguins are happy and feel safe), so much so that they send babies to other sanctuaries or they would be overrun.

The keepers clearly adored them and had named them all. The baby was Roger and the one pulling my jumper was John! If anyone gets the chance to meet some definitely do it, you will be amazed by how much they interact with you and they aren't aggressive at all, just very curious.

dragonette

Oh WaS, that sounds amazing! Am so glad you had such a great visit

geminilady

WaS so glad you had such a lovely time.I too did not know they lived so long.The baby sounds so cute and had to giggle at the one tugging your jumper.Are the adults quite strong then ?

Waves_and_Smiles

It really was amazing! They were a mix of Humboldt and African Penguins so ok with our climate. They also allowed us to stay for an hour after closing as long as we didn't get in the way and I saw owls and parrots and some very pretty exotic birds! They also have an aquarium and I have decided that I need an axoltl in my life. They are the cutest things ever!

Photo's soon!

They are amazingly strong and can pull your clothes easily, you can see their muscles rippling. They aren't aggressive at all though and they love interacting with people. They flap their wings and screech and try to snuggle in really close to you when they're happy, then they throw themselves in the water and dive and come running back for more attention. I was rather damp after an hour!

What I did like was that their area is huge, the penguins are the main attraction so they have spent a lot of money on them. They have a beach area, a pebble area and a big pond. They are looked after very well, altogether their area is about the size of a field. That doesn't matter when a human enters though, they come running from all corners to gather around and meet you and then try to follow you when you leave.

The lovely keepers apologised a lot on the penguins behalf, they seem fascinated by clothes and the fact that they can pull them. Silly me wore a tie up belt, I gave up retying it because everytime I did a penguin would tug one end and undo it. The keepers said they were sorry about the enthusiasm and told them to be gentle with the lady! Plus if they want your attention they peck and nibble until you notice them. John constantly pecked me on the bum until I turned around and gave him a fish, then as soon as I turned my back he did it more. He didn't even want any more fish, he was just playing! The babies really aim for your fingers, they just gnaw on them like they are teething but there is just a little pressure and no pain.

It is amazing to think that they are just the same in the wild. One of the keepers had been on a conservation project in the Arctic and they found it impossible to camp because the penguins would try to enter and bite the tents and jump on them when they were trying to sleep, they eventually had to travel a few miles away because they were plagued day and night by a huge colony of curious birds who broke their cameras and recording equipment. They are very sociable to each other too, a colony has descendants from decades before and they all help rear babies and bring fish for each other. Unlike other creatures penguins are never driven out of the colony, they all accept each other for life and welcome new members even if they are a different type of penguin.

Pyxis

Ooh WaS! They sound even lovelier than I had imagined! Social, long-lived and accepting! Good for you!
Can't wait to see the pics!

So, now we've got:-

+ WaS Sorts the Cupboard of Doom!
+ WaS Boogies on Down to the Beach!
+ WaS Surprises MiL on her Birthday!
+ WaS Rubs Noses with the Reindeer!
+ WaS gets a New Boyfriend - Called Kevin!
+ WaS gets Poked by Penguins! (But not in Patagonia!)


Right! (rubs hands) What's next on the agenda?