Did you know we have kororā (little blue penguins) at Te Arai and Forestry beaches? It wouldn't be surprising if you didn't know, as we didn't until recently either. They are well hidden as they swim all day and come ashore into their dark, hidden nests after dusk. Hopefully some of the predator control we are doing along with Auckland Council, ForestBridge Trust, the local iwi and the Te Arai links golf course is making a difference to these birds.

The only way we found out there were local kororā was when they turned up dead on our beaches after every big storm, which there have been a lot of lately. Sadly, every storm washed up one or two penguins, which were distressing to see amongst all the washed up debris on the beach, especially when young families were out enjoying the day, I had a few serious conversations with some young visitors after seeing these dead birds.

If you happen to find a little blue penguin, what should you do?

Just leave it alone. Community groups regularly count dead seabirds and will remove them from beaches.

If a sick penguin is at risk from attack by dogs or other predators, place it under vegetation in the rear-dune well away from people.

If a penguin is clearly injured or in immediate danger, contact the emergency hotline 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468). Please give the exact location and take photos to help DOC make an assessment.