Danny is dreading the summer holiday visit by his hyper cousin, Nick. There is no predicting what Nick will get up to, especially when he s off his Ritalin. However, Nick proves to be the least of Danny s problems when bird flu hits the Otago Peninsula. At first it seems that only the local sparrows are affected. But then the boys trace the disease to Peco - The Peninsula Egg Farm - where chooks are dying by the thousands. A biosecurity alert is launched, with the owner of the farm suspected of importing diseased eggs. But Danny and Nick begin to think there might be a more sinister cause. A pair of hippy tourists always seem to be around when things are going wrong. Could they be eco-terrorists? As the end of the year approaches, it seems that the peninsula s endangered penguins and albatrosses are under attack. The only hope to save these rare birds becomes a race against time through the gun tunnels and cliff-tops of Taiaroa Head. A race that if lost could cause the extinction of a species.