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Bird lady of Rothesay Bay

  • Bird Lady now Butterfly Lady!

      7 October 2018

    Popped in to give Sylvia the final cheque of $334.79 for donations to her Givealittle page (now closed). Delighted to see she's in fine form, feeling much better and has a new passion (or revived one from many years ago) - Monarch Butterflies! She's converted one of the aviaries and is planning to breed Monarchs so needs Swan Plants - preferably with eggs on them. If anyone can help, please drop them around to her at 13 Montgomery Ave, Rothesay Bay. Thanks Jan

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    • 28/04/2020 by Julie Ibbotson

      Does Sylvia still need swan plants? I have loads, they are always coming up in my garden

    • 29/04/2020 by Jan Mottram

      Hi Julie, I'm not sure about Swan plants but feel free to give Sylvia a call and ask her - (09) 478 8819.

      Cheers Jan

  • Sylvia says a Big Thank You

      12 August 2018

    Thanks from Sylvia! I just popped around to Sylvia Durrant’s with a cheque for $986.35 from the donations to this site for June and July. She was absolutely delighted and asked me to pass on a big thank you. These donations were after her decision to retire and I emphasised that the money was intended for her in recognition of her great work (even though her initial reaction was to pass the money onto other bird carers!). I’m also passing on some of the wonderful comments that went with the donations.

    Many of you will know that, for health reasons, Sylvia has had to retire from taking in sick and injured birds - her life’s work for over 30 years. I’m pleased to report that she seems fit and well and said the medication has stabilised her blood pressure. She’s as bright and bubbly as ever but at 85 years of age, she knows she can’t keep doing what she was doing.

    Since I started the Givealittle site over three years ago, a total of $12,880 has been raised for Sylvia to help with her work. This site closes at the end of August so if anyone would still like to give a small donation as a thank you to Sylvia, I’ll be delighted to pass it on.

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  • Time to retire

      8 July 2018
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    Hi All, I've been contacted by Sylvia's son, Greg, to let me know that Sylvia has not been well and needs to retire from taking in and caring for sick and injured birds. After over 35 years of this amazing work and at 85 years of age, Sylvia and Greg want to pass on their appreciation for all your donations - over $12,000 which has made a huge difference. I'm sure you'll join with me in wishing Sylvia well and thanking her for all her work in the community. This page will be closing at the end of the month so if anyone would like to make a final donation as a "thank you" and to Sylvia to help her with her retirement, that would be wonderful. Jan

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  • 9 penguins, 5 wood pigeons, 3 Moreporks and possible a partridge in their somewhere!

      24 March 2018

    Visited Sylvia yesterday with February's Givealittle donations ($248) for which she is extremely grateful. Full house as usual as due to the warm summer we've had, many birds are still producing chicks. She says blackbirds are the only sensible ones who have worked things out and she's not getting any of their chicks! TVNZ's new community initiative Re: has produced a video of Sylvia which I thought you may enjoy. Thanks everyone from Sylvia for your donations! Jan https://www.facebook.com/renewsnz/videos/296942154172622/

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  • Awash with birds - all shapes and sizes

      25 November 2017
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    Hi All, I took great pleasure in presenting Sylvia with a cheque for $1250.75 yesterday for donations from August, September and October so a huge thank you from her.

    Busiest time of year for her especially with lots and lots of baby birds and chicks. She estimates she has over 200 birds in residence at the moment but too busy too count them all!

    Some of the more unusual ones - a group of 8 Paradise ducklings whose Mum came to a sad demise and a Cygnet which I'm sure will grow into a stunning swan (pictured).

    Thanks again for all your support. Jan

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  • Another Giant Petrel

      1 October 2017
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    This wild and wooly weather is certainly keeping Sylvia busy with a Giant Petrel being brought to her by DOC today - this one is grey and had got caught in fishing lines. Only second Giant Petrel Sylvia has had in over 30 years - but second within 2 months. And it's that time of the year so she has over 30 chicks of various shapes and sizes in the nursery. Thanks for your on-going support! Jan

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  • A big Thank You from Sylvia

      8 September 2017
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    A big thank you from Sylvia for the donations I took around last weekend - a total of $524.25 for May, June and July. Relatively quiet time of the year for her until spring kicks in though first signs are here with 5 little ducklings who had lost their mum and were rather camera shy.

    By the way, I've entered her for New Zealander of the Year in the Senior category so fingers crossed she gets the recognition she deserves.

    Thanks again. Jan

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  • Message from Sylvia Durrant

      6 August 2017
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    Sylvia is hugely grateful to all those who have donated and asked me to share some recent stories so you can be confident your contribution has been put to good use. Here's some of the feathered friends I met yesterday:

    1. Bernie the one flipper penguin (congenital deformity) who came to Sylvia last December. He will be a "forever" resident as would not survive in the wild. Bernie plays a key role in settling in newly rescued and stressed penguins.

    2. Penguin number 2 - found at 4 weeks of age stuck in the sand with his head pecked at by seagulls so has brain damage (hemiplegia). He walks and swims backwards and needs to lean against something to stand - hence his armchair pose in the photo:-)! He will be a Sylvia "forever" resident.

    3. Beautiful hawk hit by car and with damaged foot so cannot hunt for food until healed. Eating her out of house and home - whole oxheart, liver, beef. Soon to be released back into the wild soon.

    4. Morepork who flew smack into a sensor light in pursuit of moths. Concussion and blood shot eyes. Couldn't see anything initially - now coming right and should be released in another week but meanwhile enjoying his stir fried beef, oxheart.

    5. Cockatoo - much loved pet for past 20 years with a "sick crop' and owner needed help administering medicine so Sylvia to the rescue.

    6. Number 3 little blue penguin - off to the Antarctic centre in Christchurch tomorrow to start his new life as cannot be released into the wild. Sylvia has sent many penguins there and speaks very highly of the care they provide. At least 3 of the penguins she has sent have died of old age there.

    Thank you again for your contribution that supports this amazing woman continue with her life's work. Jan

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  • Rare Giant Petrel

      21 July 2017
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    I had a call from a very excited Sylvia Durrant recently saying she had been brought a giant petrel which had been found in a very weakened state on Muriwai Beach - first time she'd looked after such a bird in over 30 years of caring for injured and lost birds. I was away so hubbie popped around and said it was enormous! After feeding it up (over 2 kilos of fish fillets per day!), DOC were planning to release it from the cliffs of Muriwai where it will stay at sea for as long as 5-6 months. Another example of the amazing work that Sylvia does for our community. Over $5000 raised in nearly two years from our generous neighbours.

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  • Wow - people are SO generous

      5 June 2017
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    Just visited Sylvia to hand over March and April's donations - a whooping $1,053.50 bringing the total contributions to just over $5000 since we began. She was absolutely delighted.

    Relatively quiet time of the year for Sylvia until spring rolls around. Here's a few pics of some of the current residents - two ducklings, one wood pigeon and a couple of the several penguins. Thanks again to everyone for your generosity.

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  • Latest donations

      17 April 2017
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    Just popped around to see Sylvia with a cheque for $246.25 for February's donations. Relatively quiet compared to springtime but she's busy enough with a tame tui, couple of wood pigeons, couple of moreporks, a kingfisher, mynah, lorikeet, doves and a chicken! And apparently our strange weather patterns have got the penguins confused with two 6 month olds, a four month old and a 9 week old! Her unfailing enthusiasm for what she does, inspires me.

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  • Big Thanks from Sylvia

      6 February 2017
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    Just took a cheque for $467 for December's donations to Sylvia - she was very pleased as she has quite a full house at the moment. This was on top of $280.75 from November. Thanks everyone and here's a few pics of the latest residents! Jan

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  • Generous Neighbourhood

      26 November 2016
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    What a generous neighbourhood we live in! Just dropped a cheque for $1,400 (rounded up:-) off to Sylvia's for the last two months' donations to this site. She was delighted as she has a full house at the moment. Did you know this time of the year, she spends $500 a week on food for the birds including $20 for fish for each penguin! Some pics of the latest residents.

    Thanks everyone! Jan

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  • Latest donations!

      20 February 2016
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    Hi All, thanks again to everyone for their generous donations - just took another $175 that has been donated to this site on Sylvia's behalf in late December/January. That's now a total of $1375 from which the gate was also replaced. Again lots and lots of birds particularly baby ones in Sylvia's tender care. A couple of pics of the latest residents! Thanks Jan

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  • Merry Xmas to our feathered friends

      30 December 2015
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    Hi all, popped around to see Sylvia a couple of days ago and gave her the $115 from November's donations to this site. Took my grandson who is visiting from Singapore and Sylvia kindly introduced him to the resident baby morepork, penguins, woodpigeons, tuis and lots of other NZ birds. And $145 has been donated in December which is fabulous! Thanks all. Jan

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    • 07/01/2016 by Taty

      Hi Jan,

      May I suggest for this cause to have a Facebook page, and put a link to this Givealittle page so that it can reach a much wider audience for donation.

      I can help you set up a Facebook page if you like.

      Cheers,

      Taty

  • Xmas spirit alive and well!

      21 December 2015
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    Hi All, just to let you know I'll be taking another $115 to Sylvia over next few days from donations that have come in to her Givealittle site since the most recent article in the North Shore Times. Hopefully this will help her over this particularly busy time as baby birds get injured or lost. A total of $1190 has now been donated (including the cost of the gate) from our generous community. As many of you will know, Sylvia is a real character in our neighbourhood - 82 years of age and has been looking after lost and injured birds for nearly 30 years with no funding other than donations. The donation site is still open if anyone feels the Xmas spirit or perhaps a novel gift idea on behalf of someone!

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  • Very generous neighbours

      22 November 2015
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    Hi All, some of you may recall the postings on the Bird Lady of Rothesay Bay and the fund raising we did. Well a couple of weeks ago, Diane O'Connor and I had the pleasure of presenting Sylvia with $1000 which was the monies raised after paying for the new gate. (Unfortunately Shirree Lawson who was key in making it happen had to attend a funeral and couldn't join us). Sylvia was so excited and grateful saying it "will make a huge difference" as she receives no funding from elsewhere. I'm sharing some pictures of Diana and I handing over the proceeds, penguins about to go for their daily swim at the rock pools under the watchful eye of Missy, the new gate, tiny silvereye chick and baby tuis. What a generous group of neighbours we are for such a wonderful cause. Thanks everyone! Jan

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