Category: Season Updates

Tuesday Night:
Teresa and I got to meet up with KC (Karen Clark) from NCWRC for a quick face to face.  She loved our beach!  We discussed tidal issues and shared successes as well as losses.  She has some good ideas rolling for next year!  Also, she is open to suggestions for future lessons.  
Nest #82 started showing some activity under the sand a little after 7:00 last night.  81 hatchlings boiled out between 7:46 and 8:05 with a few distracted by the street light.  While checking the top of the nest, another hatchling was discovered! Thanks to Ed for the call alerting us to activity. Special thanks to Ambassadors Jason, Britney and their sweet daughters Maggie and Eleanor Miller from Catawba, NC. Great counting girls!

Wednesday morning:

No new activity to report today.We have received DNA results for Nests #76-#86.  I will get those reports to the assigned teams later today.  We have not received any information on Nests #26-#75 or the Kemp’s nests, yet.

This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 21ST03)

We’ve had a quiet couple of nights and days out there. Morning Patrol was able to get out between down pours, but didn’t see any evidence of emergences.  Sand washed in the runways and high tides caused some overwashes on the nests near the lighthouse.

  There are 9 nests left on the beach, counting Nesting Site #2.  We are currently waiting on the 80th days to inventory Nests #58 & #60.

This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 21ST03)

Sunday night was a beautiful night on the beach with an almost full moon.  Unfortunately we did not have any nests hatch. Tonight is the full moon so maybe there will be some activity then.

The Morning Patrol reported that it was a beautiful morning on the beach.  The only activity was tiny crab holes at nests 58 and 80.

This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 21ST03)

Saturday Night:

• Nest #79 Inventory
  • Live Hatchlings-1
  • Dead Hatchlings-0
  • Pipped Eggs-0
  • Unhatched Eggs-12
  • Hatched Egg Shells-109

Sunday Morning:

No activity on beach this morning except 2 shells dug out of nest 76.

This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 21ST03)

Friday night was quiet and buggy.  No action at the remaining nests.

Saturday Morning:

• NEST #82 had a crab hole
• Nest #81 Inventory
  • Live Hatchlings-1
  • Dead Hatchling-1
  • Pipped Eggs+0Unhatched Eggs-6
  • Hatched Egg Shells-117
  • This one was overwashed at least a couple of times and they had to take about 4″ of sand off each time.

This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 21ST03)

Thursday Night:

• Nest #71 Inventory
  • Live Hatchlings-0
  • Dead Hatchlings-0
  • Pipped Eggs-0
  • Unhatched Eggs-20
  • Hatched Egg Shells-94
  • Team 8 would like to thank their family, friends, Ambassadors and especially the Junior Ambassadors for helping to make it a wonderful season!
• Nest #79 had 3 more hatchlings emerge around 8:00pm.

Friday Morning:

• Nest #74 Inventory
  • Live Hatchlings-0
  • Dead Hatchlings-0
  • Pipped Eggs-0
  • Unhatched Eggs-3
  • Hatched Egg Shells-50
  • Team 3 is THRILLED with these results as this nest was in the overwash zone.  They worked hard to keep the water off the top of the nest, but it did come around both sides.  We aren’t sure when those turtles emerged, it could have been during a rain storm at the time of high tides, possibly even before the tides threatened.  Great work, Team 3!
• Nest #77 Inventory
  • Live Hatchlings-1
  • Dead Hatchlings-0
  • Pipped Eggs-0
  • Unhatched Eggs-5 (they opened one and the embryo was malformed and had growths on it’s back)
  • Hatched Egg Shells-125

This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 21ST03)

Wednesday Night:

• We have a sad inventory to report.  Nest #76 was heavily over washed in the storm tides last week.  They saw 1 hatchling emerge on Saturday night.  Sadly, that was the only living hatchling.  Our team did everything they could to protect the nest and tried to remove the added sand that was washed in and over.  The power of the water was too strong.  Thanks, Team 4 for all of your hard work!
  • Live Hatchlings-0 at Inventory
  • Dead Hatchlings-45
  • Pipped Eggs-28
  • Unhatched Eggs+37
  • Hatched Egg Shells-45 
• Did you see the SpaceX rocket launch?

Thursday Morning:

Nests #71 & #74 had crab holes. No other nest activity overnight.

This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 21ST03)

Tuesday Night:

Team 8 was alerted to a hatchling found in a tidal pool.  Poor little guy must have been washed back in from a morning inventory.  He was placed in a bucket to rest and released near the water on a quiet area of the beach. Thanks to the visitors who found the little guy!

Nest #81 developed a deep hole at about 7:00 pm.  105 hatchlings boiled a little after 8:00 and we’re in the water within minutes. 

Nest #79 dropped at about 8:39 pm. The turtles poked their heads and flippers out a bit for over 2.5 hours.  They finally boiled àt 11:08 with 103 hatchlings walking quickly to the ocean in 7 minutes!  The moon was perfect to lead their way!

Wednesday Morning:

• Crabs in Nests #58, #82, #74 ,#76.
• Nest #77 looks to have more movement under the sand.
• Nest #79 had 4-5 more hatchlings emerging overnight.  

This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 21ST03)

Monday Night:  Thankful for a brighter moon!

• Nest #46 Inventory was very sad.  We hope they were unfertilized eggs!  They were all light orange-bright pink.Unhatched Eggs-113 (all)
• Nest #78 Inventory
  • Live Hatchlings-6
  • Dead Hatchlings-0
  • Pipped Eggs-1
  • Unhatched Eggs-13
  • Hatched Egg Shells-84

Tuesday Morning:

• Nest #75 Inventory
  • Live Hatchlings-4
  • Dead Hatchlings-0
  • Pipped Eggs-2
  • Unhatched Eggs-11
  • Hatched Egg Shells-97
• Nest #77 boiled overnight and had 1 lone straggler that Morning Patrol and a few beach walkers for to see.

This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 21ST03)

Sunday Night (Beautiful, cool evening!):

• Nest #67 Inventory
  • Live Hatchlings-0
  • Dead Hatchlings-0
  • Pipped Eggs-0
  • Unhatched Eggs-2
  • Hatched Egg Shells-104
• Nest #69 Inventory
  • Live Hatchlings-1
  • Dead Hatchlings-0
  • Pipped Eggs-0
  • Unhatched Eggs-4
  • Hatched Egg Shells-124
• Nest #73 Inventory
  • Live Hatchlings-0
  • Dead Hatchlings-0
  • Pipped Eggs-1
  • Unhatched Eggs-17
  • Hatched Egg Shells-102

Monday Morning:

• Nest #71 hatched overnight with LOTS of tracks leading to the water!
• Nest #74 had a large crab hole, crab still hanging around, and some hatchling tracks mixed in with the crab tracks.  (First emergence)

This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 21ST03)