More information on this individual here:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/5172214/Rare-NZ-emperor-penguin-appearance
Basically, the bird was first spotted at Paraparaumu beach (just north of Wellington) on the afternoon of the 20th, then moved up to Pekapeka beach that evening. The news got out to the birdwatching community and also the general media on the 21st. I went up on the morning of the 22nd (today) hoping he would still be there, and fortunately he was, and most fantastic he was too even if he did stay prone upon the ground rather than standing up and strutting his stuff. Seriously, a magnificent bird. Can't help but feel sorry for the penguin though, completely lost with no idea what to do. Yesterday he was observed eating wet sand, apparently under the impression it was snow. Although he looks more-or-less fine at the moment I have a feeling he may end up at the Wellington Zoo hospital for recovery, and then he'll get shipped back to Antarctica where he belongs. Unless he just vanishes into the surf before then or, hopefully not (!), gets killed by a dog.
The first record of an emperor penguin on the NZ mainland (in 1967) was actually a ship-assisted bird so this current one is really the first proper record. Its also probably the most northerly emperor penguin on record. New Zealand is really a very long way north of anywhere they occur normally.
