2021 Turtle Season

  • CBTW’s 2023 Green Turtle Nest

    We at Caswell Beach Turtle Watch were very excited earlier this season when we suspected one of our new nests (#66) was a Green Turtle nest (see July 11 post).

    Our suspicions were correct! We were so excited to see the very first hatchling so that we could confirm the status of this nest!  It was a beautiful hatchling!!  Green Turtles have a very distinct markings. The turtles trickled out over a couple of days.  Then the King Tides arrived and the storm was approaching.  We were given permission by NCWRC to emergency excavate emerged nests early (we need this approval for any variance to their standard regulations), so we did so at almost dark on Monday night before the storm hit. 

    We were sad to find that not all of the hatchlings made it out of this special nest due to the heat.  Here is the story of our Green Turtle nest!

  • 2021 Roundup
    • Crawls
      • 87 Nests (85 Loggerhead, 2 Kemp’s Ridley)
      • 38 False Crawls
    • Average Crawl Widths
      • Loggerhead – 35.5”
        • Range:  26-44”
      • Kemp’s – 24 inches
        • Range:  22-26”
    • Nests
      • 21 Relocated Nests – 21.1%
        • (19 Loggerhead, 2 Kemp’s Ridley)
      • 1 Wild Nest (never located)
      • 66 In Situ Nests
      • 2 Nesting Sites (later determined to be False Crawls
        • Averaged 111.5 eggs per nest, ranged 54-166 per nest
    • Nests Loss Due to Rain
      • #17 – 9 Hatched/71 Unhatched
      • #27 – 24 Hatched/36 Unhatched
      • #46 – 0 Hatched/113 Unhatched
    • Nests Loss Due to Tides
      • #58 – 0 Hatched/91 Unhatched
      • #76 – 45 Dead/65 Unhatched
    • #80 – 7 Hatched/106 Unhatched
    • 9590 Eggs
      • Relocated Nests
        • 2322 Eggs (Average 110.6 per nest)
        • 1800 Hatchlings
        • 78%  % Hatch Rate
      • In Situ Nests
        • 7268 Eggs  (Average 110.1 per nest)
        • 6048 Hatchlings
        • 83 % Hatch Rate
      • 7848 Hatched Eggs
      • 7494 Hatchlings
      • 81.3 % Overall Hatch Rate
    • Incubation Days
      • Average 57.6 Days
      • Range 4971 Days
    • Volunteers
      • 102 Volunteers on our list
      • Time and Travel Reported
        • 8,175.6 Hours reported
        • 31,164.15 Miles Driven

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

  • Wednesday, October 6

    THAT’S A WRAP!

    The last nest of the season was inventoried last night!  Nest #83 was way above the high tide line near the dune grass in front of the 100 Villa.  Even though it was not over-washed by the tide, it appears there was possibly some rain inundation at some point. Many of the unhatched eggs had a light orange tint. 

    • Nest #83 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-0
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-1
      • Unhatched Eggs-31
      • Hatched Egg Shells-41

    Wednesday Morning:The last of the green, signs and poles were picked up this morning on our last Morning Patrol ride of 2021!

    All in all we had a very successful season!! Thank you for your hard work and dedication! 

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

  • Tuesday, October 5

    Sunday night and Monday morning gave nothing to report but a beautiful and quiet beach.

      Teresa called Matthew to ask about excavating Nest #80 earlier than 80 days since the washovers continued even over the weekend.  He agreed.
    There was no further activity at Nest #83 overnight.
    We are also officially changing Nesting Site #2 to a False Crawl.

    • Nest #80 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-0
      • Dead Hatchlings-3
      • Pipped Eggs-44
      • Unhatched Eggs-62
      • Hatched Egg Shells-7 
      • So, 4 hatchlings made it out of the nest at some point!!!  1 (or all) of those could be the 1 in 1000!!

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

  • Sunday, October 3

    Nest #83 had one more hatchling emerge last night at about 7:00. This one knew where he was supposed to go, straight to the water, and didn’t look back!

    Unfortunately, thanks to Hurricane Sam’s extra high tides, Nest #80 was over washed again. Special thanks to the caller yesterday who retrieved some of the green that was being washed away!

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

  • Saturday, October 2

    Friday Night:

    Oh, What a Night! 40 hatchlings from Nest #83 finally decided to make an appearance with several visitors present to see (Day 67).  Unfortunately they battled a tidal pool and some very distracting lights.  After many trips up and down the runway we had to bucket them and take them to the edge of the water.  Even after making it into the water, dozens of them came back to the beach!  A fisherman found 1 hatchling about 50 yards away going back towards the lights!  Team #3 had called in reinforcements as many of their members were out of town and sadly missed the boil (they’ve been sitting for almost 2 weeks!).  Special thanks to Wanda, Gail and Allen for their help!

      Saturday Morning:

    No additional activity over night.  It was a beautiful and crisp Fall morning on the beach!

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

  • Friday, October 1

    Thursday Night:

    It was a buggy night, but a successful inventory for the nest in the dune!

    • Nest #86 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-0
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-9
      • Hatched Egg Shells-101

    Friday Morning:

    No Turtle activity, but there sure were a LOT of boats out there!  Cheers for the King Mackerel Tournament!

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

  • Thursday, September 30

    Wednesday Night:

    We had 2 great inventories last night!

    • Nest #84 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-0
      • Dead Hatchlings-4
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-7
      • Hatched Egg Shells-98
    • Nest #85 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-3
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-1
      • Unhatched Eggs-1
      • Hatched Egg Shells-94

    Thursday Morning:

    Nest #86 had a big crab hole, but no shells dug out.

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

  • Wednesday, September 29

    Things are definitely slowing down!   No activity to report.  We are still waiting on Nests #80, #83 and Nesting Site #2.

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

  • Tuesday, September 28

    Nothing happening while teams have been sitting except a lot of bug bites!

    Nest #86 had 2 more hatchlings emerge overnight.

    Here is Gary’s sunrise picture for your enjoyment!

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

  • Monday, September 27

    Sunday Night:

    Wonderful temperatures, flat water, but buggy and no action!

    Monday Morning:

    I received a call in the wee hours from a visitor that Nest #86 had hatched.  He reported that all the turtles appeared to have gone to the water.  Morning Patrol checked out the scene this morning. Several wiggled through a gap in the green that was created by their emergence hole. Looks like a small number of hatchlings near the top were probably confused by the lighthouse, but there were a lot of tracks down where the runway widened to the high tide line.

    Now we are waiting on Nests #80-Day 67 , #83-Day 63 and the Nesting Site-Day 64.

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

  • Sunday, September 26

    Saturday Night:

    • Nest #82 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-0 (the last little one dug out yesterday morning)
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-4
      • Hatched Egg Shells-86
      • This was the Mama that nested just several yards away while many of us were sitting at Nest #1!  She did good!
    • Nest #84 hatched at about 10:45 with the help of Turtle Ambassadors Mark and Diane along with another couple!  42+ hatchlings were seen to the water and then 1 more emerged at about 11:20. 

     Sunday Morning:

    NEST #85 hatched overnight with LOTS of tracks in the runway!!!  This is especially GREAT news as this nest was overwashed many times in the storm high tides and even again last week!

      Nest #84 may have had a few more tracks.

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

  • Saturday, September 25

    Friday Night:

    Special thanks to Turtle Ambassadors Ben and Jamee for rescuing a turtle hatchling from Kingsley Street Park in Southport Friday evening! Poor baby was very lost, walking circles around a park street light! How in the world did it get there? Possibly dropped by a bird? We may never know! He was very spunky and didn’t appear to have any injuries and was taken to the beach to be released.  Thanks also to Team 2 for helping with his release!

    Saturday Morning:

    Nest #82 had another hatchling emerge this morning.  Morning Patrol arrived just in time to see him make it to the water!  Looks like he took a long journey with a few twists and turns down the runway.
    No other activity to report, but look at that beautiful sunrise!

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

  • Friday, September 24

    Thursday Night:

    • Nest #60 was inventoried at 80 days because we had not seen any indications of hatching.  Well, it was a pleasant surprise for team 7 when they discovered empty shells!  It must have hatched during a rain storm probably about 22-26 days!
    • Nest #60 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-0
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-6
      • Hatched Egg Shells-59

    Friday Morning:

    Nest #82 had 1 more hatchling emerge overnight.

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

  • Thursday, September 23

    Quiet night and quiet morning.  The beach is flat from the tides and rain.

    Nest #58 Inventory (after 80 days of incubation)This nest suffered overwashes early and all through the critical incubation period.  Sadly, all of the eggs were unhatched.  One was even hot pink on the INSIDE.  There was also standing water in the nest cavity.
    Unhatched Eggs-96 (Whole-91, Damaged-5)

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

  • Wednesday, September 22

    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)

  • Tuesday, September 21

    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)

  • Monday, September 20

    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)

  • Sunday, September 19

    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)

  • Saturday, September 18

    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)

  • Friday, September 17

    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)

  • Thursday, September 16

    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)

  • Wednesday, September 15

    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)

  • Tuesday, September 14

    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)

  • Monday, September 13

    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)

  • Sunday, September 12

    Saturday Night:

    It was dark and buggy last night for most teams sitting.  Nest #76 had one hatchling emerge at about 9:00 pm, giving Team 4 some hope for the rest of the nest!

    Sunday Morning:

    The Buggy (Turtlemobile) decided to give Joy and Kathleen problems this morning as they arrived near the Golf Course beach.  Tom Waite saved the day by coming and checking it out.  There was a loose connection to the battery.  Thanks, Tom!!

    • Nest #73 had one more hatchling emerge overnight.
    • Nest #78 had 2-3 more hatchlings emerge overnight.

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

  • Saturday, September 11

    Friday Night:

    • Nest #72 Inventory (way up on the dune)
      • Live Hatchlings-0
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-4
      • Hatched Egg Shells-91
    • The sunset was beautiful, but the bugs were active.

    Saturday Morning:

    Nest #75 hatched overnight with lots of tracks.  The tide was fairly high, but the turtles went west after they exited the runway.  A good number made it to the tidal area 30 yards or so west, others went towards the lights of the houses nearby with some turning back towards the water.  They took the long road for sure!
    No other activity.  The tide was not as high as the previous night! 

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

  • Friday, September 10

    Thursday Night:

    Nest #69 had a hole at 7:15.  It boiled at 7:30 and with 118 hatchlings walking straight into the ocean by 7:45!  Team 2 is thrilled to have finally experienced a textbook boil!  They had a very nice and respectful crowd to witness the event!
    Many greens were repaired and sand removed from runways and nest tops from the high tide damage.  The cold front moved in quickly and threatened more rain.

      Friday Morning:

    Nest #78 boiled overnight with LOTS of tracks leading to the high tide line!  Some went to the side, but still made it to the water.  
    Nests #46, #58, #74 had small crab holes. Nests #76 & #81 have additional sand build up that needs to be removed.

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

  • Thursday, September 9

    Wednesday Night:

    Nest #67 hatched at 8:16. There were 98 hatchlings with the help of Ambassadors Margot and Gary.
    The tide was very high again with several nests over washed.  The lightning and rain sent everyone home.
    Thursday Morning:

    We have a very flat beach this morning.  The tide was higher than any of our King Tides this season.
    Nest #73 looks like it hatched with a good number of hatchlings.  The # of tracks were hard to see due to the rain drops and wind marks.  It must have been at the time of the highest tide because the beach below the high tide line was very smooth.
    Nest #78 has a crack and a small indentation.Nests #58 & #81 had crab holes (not in center).Nests #58, #76, #80, #81, #85 and Nesting Site 2 were over washed.

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

  • Wednesday, September 8

    Tuesday Night: The tide was brutal last night and will be again tonight.  Thank you for all your efforts to protect your nests!  There is only so much we can do.

    • Nest #70 boiled at 7:05 pm with 58 hatchlings.  The tide then came in and eventually inundated the nest cavity.  Once the water reached the nest, permission was granted for an emergency excavation.  Fortunately, no hatchlings remained in the nest as water did reach the bottom.  Thanks go to Team 7 for their emergency assistance.
    • Nest #70 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-0
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-2 (they died before the water inundation)
      • Unhatched Eggs-17
      • Hatched Egg Shells-62

    Wednesday Morning:

    Despite all efforts, Nests #58. #76, #80, #85 and the large Nesting Site were overwashed last night and again this morning.  It was out of our control.We will hope for the best!

    • Nest #68 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-0
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-11
      • Hatched Egg Shells- 143

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

  • Tuesday, September 7

    Monday Night:  Beautiful with a nice breeze!

    • Nest #64 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-0
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-28
      • Hatched Egg Shells-81
    • Nest #66 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-2
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-1
      • Unhatched Eggs-1
      • Hatched Egg Shells-138

    Tuesday Morning:  Windless and buggy!

    • Nest #59 Inventory
      • Live hatchlings-0
      • Dead hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-13
      • Hatched Egg Shells-93 and pieces
    • Nest #59 had more hatchling tracks overnight before the inventory.
    • Nest # 72 hatched with lots of tracks down their engineered speedway.
    • Nest #68 had a small dimple.
    • Nests #58 & #80 had crab holes.

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

  • Monday, September 6

    Happy Labor Day!It was dark and quiet last night with absolutely no activity!  Morning Patrol did report that Nest #58 may have a slight depression, though!  Let’s all hope!!! Enjoy your day!

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

  • Sunday, September 5

    Saturday Night:

    It was a beautiful night, but the bugs were fierce at some nests!  Did you see the two Osprey flying down the beach?

    •  Nest #62 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-1
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Hatchlings-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-7
      • Hatched Egg Shells-105
    • Nest #68 Boiled at10:45 with 139 hatchlings!!!!  They did well down the runway until they hit the wet sand.  50 + were led toward the street light at Tom Hess. (The darkness of the sky made the street lights and house lights all too inviting!) Team 6 along with Turtle Ambassadors John, Sheila, Patrick, Shannon and Jacob worked until MIDNIGHT making sure all the hatchlings were found and redirected.  WOW!  Good work, Team!

    Sunday Morning:

    Nest #68 had 4 more turtle tracks in the runway this morning.  One track led from the water over to Nest #46 and back to the water.  Talk about a wayward turtle!
    Nest #58 had a lot of crab tracks.

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

  • Saturday, September 4

    Friday Night:

    • Team 9 had to bring in an Environmental Specialist to green Nest #72.  Aren’t they lucky to have Brittany on their team?  They did their best to preserve the Sea Oats and the dune structure while giving the turtles a path to the ocean.
    • Nest #59 started hatching at 10:55.  When Gail and Allen arrived, 50 hatchlings were already trotting to the water.  By 12:05, 90 hatchlings made it to the ocean.  There were 2 more stragglers for a total of 92.  Team 5 wishes to thank their Turtle Ambassadors from NY who helped tremendously!
    • Bugs were really bad out for all teams!

    Saturday Morning:

    • Nest #59 had one more hatchling with the cutest little tracks!
    • Nests #58 and #67 had crab holes.

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

  • Friday, September 3

    Thursday Night:

    Nest #66 hatched with 131 baby turtles heading straight for the ocean!

    Friday Morning:

    • Nest #64 hatched overnight with LOTS of tracks in the runway!
    • Nest #62 had one more hatchling track in the runway.
    • Nest #66 had several more tracks in the runway.  That nest was relocated with 140 eggs.  131 + the several more = not many left to hatch, if any!!!
    • Green has been left up to the upper 70’s-early 80’s, just in case!

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

  • Thursday, September 2

    Wednesday Night: It was a windy, sand blowing night!

    • Nest #65 Inventory
      • Live Hatchling-21
      • Dead Hatchlings-2
      • Pipped Eggs-22 (There was heavy, wet sand in the nest)
      • Unhatched Eggs-3
      • Hatched Egg Shells-94

    Thursday Morning:

    • No hatchling emergences overnight.
    • Nest #46 had a crab hole in the back right corner, again.
    • The wind piled up sand on many runways, and even on top of wire cages.  Nests #67 and #69 are badly covered.

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

  • Wednesday, September 1

    Tuesday Night:

    • Nest #54 Inventory
      • Unhatched Eggs-5
      • Hatched Egg Shells-112
    • Nest #55 Inventory
      • Unhatched Eggs-5
      • Hatched Egg Shells-110
    • Nest #63 Inventory
      • Unhatched Eggs-6
      • Pipped Eggs-1
      • Hatched Egg Shells-133
    • A Turtle Ambassador alerted Team 5 to a hatchling in the wet sand east of the OKI Pier.  There hadn’t been a nest to hatch in days on Caswell Beach, so we weren’t sure where it came from.  After some investigating, we wondered if it might have come from a nest a couple of blocks west on OKI.  The tired turtle was taken to the surf where he swam away.
    • Nest 62 developed a depression at about 8:20 Tuesday evening—Day 53. The nest boiled at 9:35 with 105 hatchlings, most hurrying to the sea. About 10 were distracted by the new lighthouse parking lot light. All 10 turned around at the same spot in the runway and headed back toward the nest. They were able to block the light with their bodies to get them to turn around. Then they headed to the water.  Great job, Team 1!

    Wednesday Morning:

    • The heavy rains during the early morning hours erased any evidence of emergence at Nest #62, so it would have done so to others as well.  Sure hope we didn’t miss anything!
    • Nest #60 has a small depression.
    • Many runways were filled with sand and greens were messed up during the strong winds overnight.  Please check your nests at some point today. 
    • 26 Nests remain + the 2 Nesting Sites with one more month of days to sit.  You all are awesome!!!!
    • Nest #53 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-9
      • Unhatched Eggs-7
      • Hatched Egg Shells-136

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

  • Tuesday, August 31

    Oops, and a Sunday Inventory.  This nest was our earliest to hatch so far this year at Day 49.

    • Nest #61 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-15
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-1
      • Unhatched Eggs-3
      • Hatched Egg Shells-89

    Monday Night was a quiet one as far as boils and inventories go.

    Tuesday Morning:

    • #46 had crab holes and still has a dip in the center
    • #53 had a few hatchling tracks and a crab hole.
    • #62 had a crab hole.
    • #63 possibly had another hatchling track.
    • #64 had a crab hole.
    • #65 had one hatchling stuck on a vine this morning and 10 additional tracks in the runway.
    • Hope all are able to get a little break now and then!Thanks for all you are doing!

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

  • Monday, August 30

    Sunday Night

    • Nest #51 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-0
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-22 (2 were very full and bright white)
      • Hatched Egg Shells-90
    • Nest #56 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-0
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-4
      • Hatched Egg Shells-110
    • Nest #65 had 1 more hatchling emerge at about 9:15 pm.

    Monday Morning:

    • Nest #46 had a slight indentation and a crab hole.
    • Nests #53 had 1 more hatchling track.
    • Nest #54 had 3 more hatchling tracks.
    • Nest #65 had many more hatchling tracks.
    • Nest #27 Inventory (VERY dense and heavy sand)
      • Live Hatchlings-0
      • Dead Hatchlings-1 (previous crab attack)
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-36
      • Hatched Egg Shells-24

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

  • Sunday, August 29

    Saturday:

    • After a long day of watching Nest #53 for more early risers, 81 hatchlings boiled out of the nest at about 8:00pm with a large crowd happy to see them in the waning daylight!  Team 2 thanks all those who came to help take shifts and to Amy, Marianne and a Villas couple who set up the Shibumi Cave!  It was COOL!
    • Nest #65 also boiled last night (way past Gary’s bedtime) with 50 hatchlings going straight to the water.  We believe the ship’s light out on the horizon was their beacon!

    Sunday:

    • Nest #53 had some crab activity
    • Nest #65 had one more set of hatchling tracks down the runway.

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

  • Saturday, August 28

    Friday & Friday Night:

    • Nest #54 had 5 hatchlings just before noon, 2 dead hatchlings were found in the runaway at about 2:00 and 101 hatchlings boiled at about 2:30pm.  Confused little things!  Last night they had 1 more emerge at 8:30 pm.
    • Nest #53 had a nice hole.Nest #65 had a large crater.
    • Nest #57 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-7
      • Dead Hatchlings-1
      • Pipped Eggs-9
      • Unhatched Eggs-3
      • Hatched Eggshells-86 + a handful of pieces

    Saturday Morning:

    • Nest #53 had 7 emerge at 6:30 with Emerson and several Turtle Ambassadors keeping the birds away.  More hatchlings were at the top of the nest, but without much action.  We put a call in to the Sea Turtle Hotline and were advised to cover them back up and monitor closely.throughout the day.
    • Nest #54 had 2 more hatchling tracks and a crab hole.
    • Nest #55 hatched overnight with LOTS of tracks leading to the water.
    • Nest #61 had 3 tracks in the runway and Morning Patrol saw 4 more hatchlings to the water.
    • Nest #63 hatched overnight with LOTS of tracks, most heading to the water.
    • Nest #65 had another large depression.
    • Nest #46 had a crab hole.
    • Nest #52 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-0
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-9
      • Hatched Egg Shells-100
    • Three Cheers to Team 2 who have had some very long and late waits on their multiple nests all together!  They were up last night with Nest #53 until 2:30 am and out again this morning when the call came at 6:30!

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

  • Friday, August 27

    Thursday Night:

    Thanks to the gentleman who made sure 2 additional hatchlings made it to the water from Nest #52. Another Turtle Ambassador!
    It was a quiet night otherwise!

    Friday Morning:

    • Nest #51 had a crab hole with 2 egg shells removed (probably the same 2 from yesterday as we had put them back in the hole/nest cavity).
    • Nest #54 had a crab hole
    • Nest #56 had a crab hole
    • Nest #61 had another small indentation
    • Nest #65 had a circular crack in the center…DAY 48!
    Nest #65 Crack

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

  • Thursday, August 26

    Wednesday Night:

    • Nest #42 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-0
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-10
      • Hatched Egg Shells-45
    • Nest #47 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-3
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-1
      • Hatched Egg Shells-110
    • Nest #56 boiled a little before 10:00 with 109 hatchlings heading straight to the ocean!
    • Nest #61 hatched a little later with about 67 hatchlings, 7 who were just a little bit disoriented.

    Thursday Morning:

    • Nest #51 hatched overnight with LOTS of tracks leading nicely to the high tide line.
    • Nest #57 had 3 more hatchling tracks leading to the water.
    • Nest #61 had one injured hatchling pulled out of the nest by a crab.  We released it at the tideline, 
    • Crab holes in Nests #27 and #56

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

  • Wednesday, August 25

    Tuesday Night:

    • Nest #45 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-0
      • Dead Hatchlings -0
      • Pipped Eggs-1
      • Unhatched Eggs-6
      • Hatched Egg Shells-121
    • Nest #52 boiled at 8:15 with 91 hatchlings. Team 2 had great help from Team 5, who pitched in and helped when things happened suddenly! The loyal followers at Nest #27 pitched in also. Whew!  Thanks to all who assisted!!!

    Wednesday Morning:

    Quiet on the beach overnight.  No new hatchings to report!

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

  • Tuesday, August 24

    Monday Night:

    • Nest #43 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-0
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-3 (brownish in color)
      • Hatched Egg Shells-132
    • Nest #49 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-0
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-16 (roots had grown THROUGH several eggs)
      • Hatched Egg Shells-83
    • Above normal high tides threatened a few nests again last night. There is no intervention that could positively change the outcome.  Although we may not like it, this is a natural event and it happens in unprotected beaches as well as protected.

    Tuesday Morning:

    • Nest #57 hatched last night with the watchful eyes of Russell and his family!  Our newest Turtle Ambassador Family!  They saw 73 hatchlings to the water.
    • Nest #42 had tracks from one more hatchling.
    • Nest #61 has a small indentation on only day 47!
    • Nest #53 had a crab hole.
    • Green has been delivered up to Nest #66.  Keep up the great work!

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

  • Monday, August 23

    Sunday Night

    • Nest # 38 Inventory
      • Live Hatchings-0
      • Dead Hatchlings-1
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-7
      • Hatched Egg Shells-107
    • Nest #48 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-2
      • Dead Hatchlings-
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-22
      • Hatched Egg Shells-114
    • The extra high tide washed over Nest #53 and Nest #58 and came within 6 feet or so of Nest #27

    Monday Morning

    • Nest #76 had a slight over wash.
    • Nest #57 had a larger indentation.
    • Nests #27 & #47 had big crab holes.

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

  • Sunday, August 22

    The bugs drove many of the volunteers and visitors away last night!
    Nest #47 had 3 hatchlings (Charlie’s Angels) emerge one at a time at about 8:40 pm.  It was evident that more were just under the surface, so Team 9 waited them out!  Under very bright moonlight, 100 more hatchlings emerged at 10:28 pm moving quickly and going straight to the water within 5 minutes with “Ivy” bringing up the rear!

    Sunday Morning:

    • There was a big crab hole in Nest #27.
    • Nest #38 had a crab hole.
    • Nest #42 MAY have hatched?? Nice indentation, but no tracks visible.
    • Nest #48 had a big crab hole and egg shells in the runway. Shells were buried outside of the green on right side and marked with Oyster shells.
    • Nest #57 has a slight indentation.
    • Some green was left at Nest #58, will drop more tomorrow.
    • Nest #58 was NOT overwashed last night!
    • Nesting Site 1 had no change.
    • Let’s hope those bugs go AWAY for tonight’s activity!

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

  • Saturday, August 21

    Friday Night:

    • Nest #36 Inventory-WOW!
      • Live Hatchlings-0
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-1, ONLY 1!
      • Hatched Egg Shells-80 (+ a handful of small pieces)
    • Nest #44 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-7 (These poor babies were covered with Ants!)
      • Dead Hatchlings-2
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-35 (All liquid, undeveloped)
      • Hatched Egg Shells-100 (+ a handful of small pieces)
    • Nest #43 had 1 more hatchling emerge at 8:30 pm
    • Nest #48 had 2 hatchlings emerge at 8:48 pm
    • Nest #47 had a small depression
    • Nest #57 had a small depression
    • Lightning sent us in for the night!  Thank you for keeping yourselves safe!!

    Saturday Morning:

    • Nest #45 boiled with a Turtle Ambassador watching as 110 hatchlings went straight for the water!
    • Nest #48 had a hatchling at the top tangled in a root.  The Morning Patrol freed it and watched it crawl to the water.
    • Nest #43 may have had another hatchling or so.
    • Nest #47 had 2 crab holes.

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

  • Sea Turtle Embryo Development Pictures

    Karen Clark from NCWR presented a training session in Sea Turtle Embryo Devlopment. The following are a few slides that she shared with the teams.

  • Friday, August 20

    Thursday Night:

    • Nest #50 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-1
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-5
      • Hatched Egg Shells-120 + a handful of small pieces
    • Nest #43 boiled at 8:40 with 130 hatchlings going to the water within 12 minutes!
    • While greening Nesting Site #1 we noticed a small hole very close to the center of the area.  We called in Team 0 for another nest to sit!
    • Nest #44 had 2 more hatchlings emerge while Team 9 was sitting at Nest #47 (which had a small divot).  2 sets of tracks were seen in the runway and all the way to the high tide line!
    • Nest #49 boiled big and fast at 11:15 right after visitors called for help!  Thanks to Turtle Ambassadors Sam and Mike (and others)  for their call and help!  Also thanks to other CBTW members Andrea, Okey, Barb and Tom who arrived within minutes of being called! 79 hatchlings made it to the water!  It was Day 51.

    Friday Morning:

    • Nest #48 had one hatchling track and a crab hole.
    • Nests #38, #44, #43 had crab holes

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

  • Thursday, August 19

    Wednesday Night:

    THANKS to the gentleman who alerted us to a very small and  weak hatchling in the surf.  The hatchling was kept for observation overnight and released this morning.  We are hopeful for the best!

    Nest #44 had 2 more very strong hatchlings emerge at about 9:15 pm.  Sneaky and Speedy crawled swiftly to the water!

    Nest #38 boiled at 11:23 pm August 18, day 57. A hole appeared suddenly at 10:18 and 103 hatchlings emerged an hour and 5 minutes later. None of the turtles were disoriented. They all hurried to the sea en masse, with a respectful group of about twenty visitors watching under the bright moonlight.  Team 1 was worried about the new street lamp at the lighthouse overflow parking lot, but the hatchlings were not distracted by it.  Good news!

    Thursday Morning:

    Morning Patrol dodged the weather and made it back safely.  Rain can make it difficult to see progress, but Nest #48 appeared to have had 1-3 hatchlings emerge overnight.  

    Nest #38 had a large crab hole.

    Several other nests had very small crab holes.

    Please be on the lookout for stray hatchlings that may emerge during rain storms and call us if any are found.  Thanks so much!

    P.S.  No pictures today as all events happened after dark!

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

  • Wednesday, August 18

    Tuesday Night:

    • Nest #37 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-3
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-5
      • Hatched Egg Shells-101 (with lots of shredded and tiny pieces, also)
    • #37 was a relocated nest from the east point that had standing water in the bottom of the nest. I was excited about the success rate of hatching and asked Matthew why there might be a discrepancy in the number of eggs.  His response:  That’s a great example of the power of nest relocation! We know that counting shells is sometimes an inexact method for calculating clutch size – one reason is shredded shells like you describe. One thing we want to document is the variability around this estimate, so having data from relocated nests is hugely valuable, because it allows us to calculate the error rate.
    • Nest #39 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-12
      • Dead Hatchlings-5
      • Pipped Eggs-4
      • Unhatched Eggs-7
      • Hatched Egg Shells-90
    • The rain coming off of the ocean chased many teams and visitors off the beach at about 9:40 pm.


    Wednesday Morning:

    No evidence of nest emergence overnight.  It’s been a long while since that happened!Green was delivered to the 1st nesting site and the area will be watched for activity!  Who knows what could happen?

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

  • Tuesday, August 17

    Monday Night:

    • Nest #33 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-0
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-11
      • Hatched Egg Shells-116
    • While clean up was happening on #33, 2 hatchlings emerged from Nest #37!
    • There were lots of visitors on the beach last night anticipating boils as many nests had dips, craters or holes. 
    • Nest #39 had 8 hatchlings emerge at around Midnight. Thanks to Team 4 for hanging out and seeing them to the water.
    • Tuesday Morning:
    • Nest #41 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-4
      • Dead Hatchlings-1
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-2
      • Hatched Egg Shells-85
    • Nest #36 hatched overnight
    • Nest #37 had several additional tracks
    • Nest #39 had 1 more after the 8 previous
    • Nest #44 hatched overnight
    • Nest #48 has a crater
    • The deer were happy at the East Beach last night!  Thanks to Gary for the great pictures!

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

  • Monday, August 16

    4 Inventories last night, all with some hatchlings for our visitors to see! 

    • Nest #14 had another Leucistic hatchling!  That makes a total of 4 that were seen.
    • Nest #14 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-2
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-2
      • Hatched Egg Shells-119
    • Nest #25 Inventory (small clutch!)
      • Live Hatchlings-2
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-1
      • Unhatched Eggs-5 (all pink)
      • Hatched Egg Shells-52
    • Nest #26 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-37
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-1
      • Unhatched Eggs-14
      • Hatched Egg Shells-109
    • Nest #29 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-2
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-42
      • Hatched Egg Shells-91
    • Team 6 saw 3 more hatchlings out of Nest #33 to the water.
    • Morning Patrol Report for Monday:
    • Nest #40 Inventory (Kemp’s)
      • Live Hatchlings-1
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-2
      • Unhatched Eggs-6
      • Hatched Egg Shells-48
    • Nest #15’s Inventory had been dug up by crabs.
    • Nest #37 had more tracks.
    • Nest #39 had more tracks.
    • Nest #41 had a big crab hole with 1 eggshell removed. Also, Nest #41 was greeted by Sonic who speed down the runway.
    • Nest #43 had a small indentation and lots of crab tracks.
    • Nest #50 Boiled on Day 50 with tracks scattering in all directions.

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

  • Sunday, August 15

    Last night gave us  a little time to take a deep breath and enjoy the evening!

    • Nest #13 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings- 2
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-1
      • Unhatched Eggs-82
      • Hatched Egg Shells-57
    • Nest #23 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-1
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-1
      • Unhatched eggs-3
      • Hatched Egg Shells-140
    • Nest #14 saw 7 hatchlings emerge.  3 were Leucistic (without pigment)
    • Nest #29 saw 3 hatchlings emerge.
    • Nest #41 had Thelma strolling, later Louise driving and then Matilda waltzing down the runway 30 minutes apart from the one before.
    • SUNDAY MORNING:
    • Nest # 25 had 1 more hatchling track.
    • Nest #26 had 2 crab holes.
    • Nest #29 had 1 more hatchling track and the persistent crab hole.
    • Nest #37 had lots more hatchling tracks.
    • Nest #39 had lots more hatchling tracks.
    • Nest #40 (Kemp’s) had another hatchling in the runway this morning.
    • Nest #41 had 1 more hatchling track.
    • Nest #46 had graffiti written in the runway.
    • Nest #49 had a dimple.
    • Nest #50 had a crab hole in front of the nest poles.
    • Nest #31 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-1
      • Dead Hatchlings-2
      • Pipped Eggs-1
      • Unhatched Eggs-12
      • Hatched Egg Shells-93

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

  • Saturday, August 14

    FRIDAY NIGHT:

    • Nest #15 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings – 6 (2 with left front flippers that needed massage treatment.  It helped a little.)
      • Dead Hatchlings – 2
      • Pipped Eggs – 0
      • Unhatched Eggs- 14
      • Hatched Egg Shells – 93
    • Nest #32 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings – 0
      • Dead Hatchlings – 0
      • Pipped Eggs -1
      • Unhatched Eggs – 24
      • Hatched Egg Shells – 140 (YOU READ THAT RIGHT!)
    • Nest #35 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings – 6
      • Dead Hatchlings – 2
      • Pipped Eggs – 0
      • Unhatched Eggs- 24
      • Hatched Egg Shells – 93
    • Nest #41 hatched around 8:00 pm with 1 leader and 60 followers. 
    • Nest #13 had 4 more hatchlings last night! It’s a trickler!
    • Nest #37 had a perfect boil with 77 hatchlings at 9:37 pm. All the turtles hurried to the sea with no disorientation.
    • Nest #39 hatched sometime during the night with lots of tracks in the runway!
    • WILD NEST at 607 CBR was called in at 9:10 pm.  Team 9 responded.  Hatchlings were all over the beach.  Very helpful and excited family!!! We were able to bucket 50+ and others made it to the water on their own.  Tracks were running North, South, East and West!  One even made it all the way to Nest #43, several houses away!

    SATURDAY MORNING:

    • Nest #14 had 2 tracks in the runway
    • Nest #26 had 1 track in the runway
    • Nest # 29 had 1 track in the runway
    • Nest #40 had one more hatchling 
    • Nest #42 has a divot/indentation
    • Nest #41 had 2 tracks in runway
    • Nest #77 had a crab hole

    Gary, Susan, Kathleen and Scott search the area in front of 607 CBR for the Wild Nest.  An area of concentration was seen, but no nest located at this time.  The happy family is going to be on the look-out for any activity in the area!

    • Nest #30 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings – 0
      • Dead Hatchlings – 0
      • Pipped Eggs – 0
      • Unhatched Eggs- 5
      • Hatched Egg Shells – 91
    • Nest #34 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings – 1
      • Dead Hatchlings – 0
      • Pipped Eggs – 0
      • Unhatched Eggs- 16
      • Hatched Egg Shells – 119

    TO DATE @ Noon:  38 Nests have hatched!  25 Nests have been inventoried with more tonight through Tuesday!

    I think that is all for today!  Days are getting hotter and nests are hatching earlier.  Let’s green and sit earlier, too!

    Thanks again for all you are doing!

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

  • Friday, August 13

    Thursday Night:

    Nest #15 had one hatchling emerge as the sun was setting!  He was having trouble with his right front flipper, so we tried a little therapeutic massage.  It seemed to help a little bit.

    Nest #33 boiled at 9:32 with 106 hatchlings!!!  They were down the runway and into the water within 12 minutes!

    Nest 26 had a nice boil of 50 about 9:45. Several were very disoriented because of street lamp on Caswell Dunes. Great crowd…Lots of kids!

    • NEST #6 INVENTORY
      • Live Hatchlings – 0
      • Dead Hatchlings – 1
      • Pipped Eggs – 0
      • Unhatched Eggs – 22
      • Hatched Egg Shells -46
    • NEST #20 INVENTORY
      • Live Hatchlings – 11
      • Dead Hatchlings – 0
      • Pipped Eggs – 0
      • Unhatched Eggs – 5
      • Hatched Egg Shells – 97
      • Team 3 thanks Team 6 for all of their help!
    • NEST #28 INVENTORY
      • Live Hatchlings – 0
      • Dead Hatchlings – 0
      • Pipped Eggs – 0
      • Unhatched Eggs – 27
      • Hatched Egg Shells -116

    Friday Morning:

    Nest #15 had one more hatchling track all the way down the runway.

    Nest #29 had one more hatchling track all the way down the runway.

    TEAM #7 GETS A GOLD MEDAL for being Early Birds at Nest #40 (Kemp’s)!

    They sat yesterday and today from 4:30 am into the morning and again in the evening.  Well today it paid off!  55 turtles boiled slowly between 5:30-7:50 am.  The last 2 were very lethargic as the heat was rising fast!  A nice group of awe struck visitors were able to observe!

    Morning Patrol found turtles at the surface of Nest #41.  Team 5 responded quickly to the call!  5 hatchlings made it to the water after resting a while.  

    Crab Holes in Nests #37 & #39

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

  • Thursday, August 12

    I HARDLY KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN! Last night we had activity at 8 nests before 11:00pm!  New Moon gravity pull?  Stars aligned?  Whew!

    • Nest #13 had 39 hatchlings at 8:20.
    • Nest #29 had 3 hatchlings at 8:29.
    • Nest #34 had one more hatchling at 9:07.  This one did a pole dance for a while before making it down the runway.
    • Nest #31 had 90 very disoriented hatchlings at 9:36.
    • Nest #25 had 48 hatchlings at 9:53
    • Nest #35 had 5 more hatchlings
    • Nest #14 had a hatchling earlier in the evening and it decided to boil at the same time as #29.  A nice visitor called and stayed with Lucy to help. She was able to get more visitors to help with #14. Nest #14 had about 69 hatchlings and Nest #29 had about 40.  50% were disoriented due to bright lights at the golf course.  All this and Nest #15 had 5 more hatchlings with more wonderful Visitors helping!

    Just WOW! Thanks to all Volunteers  and Visitors who joined in to help other teams in their times of need last night!!  More Turtle Ambassadors for sure!  It truly takes a village!

    Today Morning Patrol …Nest #26 hatched early morning hours with 1 hatchling in the runway.  

    Nests #’s 13, 14, 29, 35 (outside runway), 25, 23 all had more hatchling tracks (unless runways had not been swept) Between Nests #14 & #29 there were turtle tracks that led up into the dunes.  We followed them up and didn’t find any.

    Crab holes:  Nests #’s 14, 29, 39

    • NEST #21 INVENTORY
      • Live Hatchlings – 2
      • Dead Hatchlings – 1 (found yesterday)
      • Pipped Eggs – 1
      • Unhatched Eggs – 14 (5 had been clipped by crabs)
      • Hatched Egg Shells -95

    OK, can we please have a few minutes to recuperate today?  Let’s hope so because tonight is another night!!!  

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

  • Wednesday, August 11

    OH, WHAT A NIGHT! We had 4 nests hatching all at about the same time.  My phone was dinging like crazy! 

    • NEST #17 INVENTORY
      • Live Hatchlings – 0
      • Dead Hatchlings – 0
      • Pipped Eggs – 1
      • Unhatched Eggs – 70 (All but 3 were tinted light orange or had black mold.  We left the 3 white ones near the top of the nest.  We opened 2 tinted ones that felt like they had some formation.  They were perfectly formed turtles.  Sadly, they just didn’t make it out of their shells.)
      • Hatched Eggs -9  😢

    Nest #23 started when a hole opened up at 8:15 and then another hole opened beside that hole at about 8:50.  120 turtles quickly emerged and ran back and forth repeatedly from  the top of the nest down a few feet and back up again thanks to the navigation tower behind it in the river. We used green to cut off their path, moving them down the runway.  There were 5 more tracks in the runway this morning!

    • Nest #15 had 73 hatchlings at 9:15
    • Nest #30 had a huge hole at 9:02.  Around 10:14, 91 hatchlings exploded out of that hole like a cannon!  It took only 5 minutes for them to make it to the ocean!  While they (Team 5) were attending to Nest #30, Nest #34 decided to hatch also!  There were lots of tracks and they were able to see the last 5 hatchlings down the runway.  WOW!
    • Nest #32 had 2 more hatchlings emerge.
    • Nest #14 had 1 hatchling observed by a visitor and another possible hatchling track in the runway this morning.

    THIS MORNING: Nest #20 had some tracks in the runway and 1 dead hatchling. Nest #35 had 3 more tracks.

    A Beach visitor found a dead hatchling near the Joe O’Brien beach.  We have no idea where it came from.

    • NEST #18 INVENTORY
      • Live Hatchlings – 1
      • Dead Hatchlings -0
      • Pipped Eggs -0
      • Unhatched Eggs – 13 (liquid inside)
      • Hatched Egg Shells – 96
    • NEST #19 INVENTORY
      • Live Hatchlings – 0
      • Dead Hatchlings -0
      • Pipped Eggs -0
      • Unhatched Eggs – 22 (liquid inside)
      • Hatched Egg Shells – 110
  • Tuesday, August 10

    Crazy night last night!  Here’s what we know happened before midnight:
    While riding her bike, a Turtle Ambassador found a hatchling IN THE ROAD yesterday (we are still learning more details to this story). She took it to the Lighthouse access to release it while another visitor looked on.  Our best guess is that the hatchling may have been dropped by a bird. 

    • Nest #32 had a big drop and hole at 8:00 with 116 turtles emerging between 9:38-9:55. There was one more turtle print on the runway this morning.
    • Nest #35 had 2 scouting hatchlings emerge to check things out for the 68 that boiled at 9:29. 70 turtles were seen in all.  There was a large crab hole there this morning.
    • Nest #4 had at least 2 turtles make their way to the ocean close to 11:00.
    • Nest #13 had 2 turtles emerge at 11:29.

    Nest #4 Inventory this morning with a really nice group of visitors:

    • Live Hatchlings – 17 (they were under some very heavy sand!)
    • Dead Hatchlings – 1
    • Pipped Eggs – 0
    • Unhatched Eggs – 51
    • Egg Shells – 85
  • Monday, August 9

    No new crawls or nests today.

    • Nest #28 Boiled with 111 hatchlings last night at 10:50 pm.Nest #21 Looks like it had a good boil overnight
    • Nest #20 had a few hatchlings tracks and one baby just under the surface when we covered up the hole.  Called in team 3 to stay with it a while.  It boiled later this morning!  They counted 65 hatchlings.
    • Nest #19 had a crab hole with a dead hatchling.
    • Nest #18 had a few more hatchlings tracks.
    • A lone hatchling was at the water’s edge near where Nest #24 was inventoried last night.  Looks like he may have been washed back to shore at some point .  No tracks in the sand around the area.
      • Live Hatchlings – 9.
      • Disoriented – 3
      • Dead Hatchlings – 2
      • Pipped Eggs – 5
      • Unhatched Eggs – 22.
      • Whole white – 2
      • Hatched Egg Shells – 94
    • Crab Holes in #4, #19 and #35
  • Sunday, August 8

    The last gold Medal of the Caswell Beach Turtle Olympics goes to Nest #18! Nest # 18 boiled at 7:30 pm last night! 91 turtles emerged. 15 slightly confused. Nest sponsors Dee and Michael Strickland were present. ( They will be sending us a video and I will share it when received.)

    The last Silver Medal goes to Nest #19!  Mr. Joe Martin watched 13 hatchlings emerge around midnight.  He had to scare the crabs away!  Thanks, Mr. Joe!

    The Bronze Medal goes to Nest #4!  There were more hatchling tracks in the runway!  Come on babies! Nest #15 also had 1 hatchling emerge last night!  They tie for the Bronze Medal!

    No new crawls or nests during the night.
    There is a large hole between Nests #24 and #28.  The Town was notified.  Nearby residents will speak with visitors if they see them.
    Thanks to those of you who braved the elements last night!  It wasn’t too bad, but not the clear night we were hoping for. Looks like the next couple of days may be better!

    Video is a YouTube link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPXYEOLzIew

  • Saturday, August 7

    No new crawls or nests today.

    • Nest #13 had small crab holes.
    • Nest #35 had a nice low crevice with a small hole, but no hatchling tracks.
    • Nest #24 had a crab hole and possibly a few hatchling tracks leading to the high tide line.
    • The BIG news is Nest #6 finally had some hatchlings!  Day 71!  There were several hatchling tracks in the runway and 5 turtles on top of the nest being attacked by hundreds of ants!  We acted fast (no pictures of the ants) and set those babies free to head to the water.  One or two were stuck in the roots.  4 out of the 5 made their way straight and focused, but 1 needed some guidance.  2 small families got there just in time to see the last 3 babies.
    • Nest #11 had their Inventory this morning and were just finishing with clean up when the storm hit!  At least the hatchlings made it in the water before the rain!  Team 1 wasn’t so lucky!
      • Live Hatchlings- 4
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-23
      • Hatched Egg Shells-110
  • Friday, August 6

    No new nests today or obvious big emergences.

    We have a new Turtle Ambassador who saved a hatchling from the clutches of a ghost crab at Nest #20!  We didn’t get his name, but we did get his picture.

    There may have been a few more hatchlings, hard to tell.
    Nest #17 had a small crab hole and one possible hatchling track again (3rd day).
    Nests #4, #11 and #24 had crab holes.
    Nest #35 has a depression  at Day 49!!!! 

  • Thursday, August 5

    Whew!  It’s been a long day already! Just when we wondered if we would have any more nests…
    Nest #86 Crawl Width:  112cm/42″ The nest was laid way up in the dune!


    After a few days of speculation, Team 8 got word at about midnight last night that Nest #24 hatched.  The visitor found one hatchling in the runway.  This morning there was another hole in the top and MANY hatchling tracks in the sand!  Gold Medal for Nest #24!

    Nest # 17 had a small hole in the top of the nest area with one hatchling track leading down.

      VERY good results in our Inventories this morning!

    • Nest #22 (Kemp’s) Inventory:
      • Live Hatchlings:0
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-4 of the unhatched eggs were mostly formed turtles whose development stopped a week or so before hatching.  These were put in vials and will be sent to the lab in GA for Paternal DNA testing.  The egg we send from each nest is used for Maternal DNA testing.  So the Kemp’s will be fully checked!
      • Egg Shells-872
    • Nest #16 inventory:
      • Live Hatchlings-43
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-1
      • Egg Shells-108 All but 1 hatched!!!!  It was a very white and full egg.  It was buried near the top of the nest just in case it hatches.  The 43 hatchlings were right at the top of the nest really ready to come out!

    Tonight looks like a fair night for sitting.  Good luck out there!

  • Wednesday, August 4
    Turtle Ambassadors

    We have a new label for our helping visitors!  Turtle Ambassadors and Junior Turtle Ambassadors. I will look into having some stickers made. 
    Last night 2 visiting families earned these titles! The Kos family and The Kirkpatrick family.  They stayed with Nest #11 while turtles were emerging in the pouring rain.  They saw 51 hatchlings to the water.  While they may not have done things by the book, they did what needed to be done to keep the turtles safe (12 were disoriented).  Thanks also to Tom and Barbara Waite for seeing the nest checked and covered in the end! 
    So Nest #11 is awarded the Gold Medal in last night’s race!

    Nest #24 had a hole again in the center of the nest.  No apparent flipper tracks because of rain. Nest #16 had a hole.  Crab or emergence?  Don’t know. Nest #17 had a crab hole with a fully formed dead hatchling.

    1 False Crawl this morning and no new nests.

    I’m sure all runways will need some attention today from blowing sand.  The tides have been rough and reaching above a normal high tide line, too.
    Thanks for your hard work and continued commitment!
  • Tuesday, August 3

    Team 1 Inventoried Nest #2 last night.  They had a nice group of families attending!

    • Nest #2 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-0
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-37 (most were pink which indicates some water coverage)
      • Egg Shells-82 Now we know there were 119 eggs in this nest!
    • Nest #5 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-0
      • Dead Hatchling-0
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-62
      • Hatched Egg Shells-70
      • All but 2 of the unhatched eggs were pinkish/light orange in color.  2 were bright white and filled out.  We put those at the top of the nest just in case they may still hatch. We also did a development check on some of the unhatched eggs.  Some were thick yolks with clear liquid. Others were various stages of formed turtles with eye pigment, detailed carapaces and full flippers (they appeared to be between 38-50 days incubation).  See charts attached Embryo Development in Pictures (from the Embryo Development session with KC, Karen Clark). What does this tell us?  Something stopped the development of some of the eggs the week or so after July 4th.  The pinkish color of the egg shells suggests water inundation.  There was a new moon high tide that week and a few nests were overwashed.  There were also some heavy rainfalls.
    • Nest #8 Inventory
      • Live Hatchlings-0
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-2
      • Unhatched-48
      • Hatched Egg Shells-55
      • Nests #5 & #8 were laid on the same day in 2 very different areas of Caswell Beach.  They also hatched the same night just minutes apart.  All very interesting information!

    No new crawls, nests or apparent races for the Gold last night.  Nest #24 had a crevice with an open hole and excited visitors hoping to see some action, but they had to leave due to the storms.  No flipper tracks in the runway this morning, but a nice depression.  Who knows, this rain may draw them out today!

    2 more inventories that were scheduled for this evening are being moved to soon this morning before the storms hit.  They are both past their allotted 72 hours after emergence.  More stats to follow!

    Be safe out there if you check on your nests!  These storms are bringing in lots of sand to our runways!

  • Monday, August 2
    BIG NEWS

    The Kemp’s Nest #22 HATCHED early this morning between 5-6.  Our running friend Jennifer  was able to help 50 to the water as they were scattering all over the wet sand.  Then a little while after Tom and Barbara had cleaned up the runway, more decided to come on out!  15 more to the water with a very respectful small crowd!

    Nest #16 also appeared to have hatched during the storms mast night.

    All runways on all greened nests need to be checked as soon as possible.  LOTS of sand has blown in from the storms. Morning Patrol was going to work on some, but the Kemp’s took priority!  Thanks!
  • Sunday, August 1

    Nest 10 Inventory (Friday Night)

    • Live Hatchlings-10
    • Dead Hatchlings-2
    • Pipped Eggs-2
    • Unhatched Eggs-15
    • Egg Shells-107

    After greening Nest #22, Team 6 celebrated the 14th birthday of their youngest team member, Ty with Turtle Cupcakes made by his Mom!

    Many of us at the Nests last night left by 9:30 for the rain/lightning.  Did any nests hatch during the storm?  Hard to tell! Rain can cover up any hatchling tracks left by emerging turtles.
    Morning Patrol was out, but had to go back in quickly with approaching storms.  They went back later, but no crawls or nests were detected.  Also, no hatchling tracks were seen in any of the runways.

  • Saturday, July 31

    This morning’s pictures.  The fishing line was in the thrown sand on today’s nest!  So glad Mama didn’t get tangled in it!  Or maybe she brought it in with her and it came off in the process?

    AWESOME INVENTORY NEWS:

    • Nest #12 (Last Night)
      • Live Hatchlings-7
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-2
      • Unhatched Eggs-6
      • Egg Shells-119
    • Nest #7 (Last Night)
      • Live Hatchlings-0
      • Dead Hatchlings-0
      • Pipped Eggs-0
      • Unhatched Eggs-10
      • Egg Shells-112
    • Nest #3 (This Morning)
      • Live Hatchlings-2
      • Dead Hatchlings-1 (previous crab attack)
      • Pipped Eggs-3
      • Unhatched Eggs-1
      • Egg Shells-56

    HATCHING NEWS:

    • Nest #5 hatched at 10:28 pm with a Boil of 62 hatchlings
    • Nest #8 about the same time with 60 hatchlings.
    • Nest #5’s babies headed straight to the finish line!
    • Nest #8’s babies were extremely disoriented by bright street lights, crawling back to the nest cavity and back out of the water despite all of Team 3’s coaching efforts!  Team 3 worked hard to get them where they needed to go!
    • Nest #2 had a few new hatchling tracks in the runway
    • Nest #10 had lots of new hatchling tracks in the runway.

    MORNING NEWS

    1 False Crawl and 1 new nest nearby.  They did not have the same crawl width.
    Nest #85 Crawl Width:  90.1cm/36″

  • Friday, July 30
    • Yay for Nest #2 on Day 63!  It hatched last night with 72 hatchlings making it to the water!  No additional tracks were noticed this morning.
    • Nest #12 had 9 more hatchlings last night and even more overnight!
    • Nest #10 had a few more hatchlings overnight.
    • Nest #6 has a slight dip in the center
    • No new nests again today. 

    Inventories

    • We did the Inventory on Nest #1 after Morning Patrol.  WOW, y’all!It was a relocated nest with 68 eggs.  There were 66 eggshells and only 2 unhatched!!!!!  3 Hatchlings were waiting to get out and made it slowly down the long runway to the low tide.  There were NO dead or Pipped!!!  That really is incredible stats!!!
    • Nest #9″s Inventory was last night at 7:00There were many EXCITED visitors there to observe and cheer on the 5 hatchlings that were found in the bottom of the nest!  The nest was a relocated nest and had 143 eggs. Results:  128 eggshells, 14 Unhatched or Pipped, 1 Dead and 5 Live Hatchlings

  • Thursday, July 29

    1 False Crawl and no new nests.
    A few more hatchlings came out of Nest #12.   No other emergences that we could tell.  
    Nests #1, #9, #70 had crab holes. Nest #10 had a BIG crab down in the center.  Got him out on the way down the beach.  Came back by and he was back in!  Very persistent!

    We also had a hitch hiker this morning!

  • Wednesday, July 28

    Nest #3 WINS THE GOLD in a full sweep!  The other Nests evidently dropped out of last night’s competition!  They had a large empty crater last night with no evidence of action, so they covered it up and went home.  Sometime during the night the crater reappeared and hatchlings emerged.  No idea how many because of the heavy rains. They could make out a couple of tracks leading straight to the ocean.  There was also a hatchling a little ways down the beach heading to the water via a tidal pool.  Unfortunately, a dead hatchling was found in the runway, victim of a ghost crab attack.  
    In other news: Nest #9 had a crab hole and a slight indentation Nest #10 had a live hatchling in the runway and made it to the water. Nest #70 had another crab hole
    There was also one False Crawl.
    Today should be interesting with all the rain (that’s when Nest #9 came out)!

    Amendment:. Nest #10 evidently hatched also!  Tie for the Gold!

  • Tuesday, July 27

    3 more nests hatched last night after the morning emergence of Nest #9 yesterday!
    Nest #1 hatched at about 10:00 with 60 hatchlings counted.  8 were very disoriented due to a bright street light behind the nest.  A few volunteers stood behind to try and block the light.  After several attempts at redirecting them, they were placed lower on the runway where they could see the white on the water.  
    Nest #7 had a large boil at about 11:00 seen by a visiting family.  They reported it had more hatchlings than Nest #1, but were not able to count them.  They came out fast and all together.  Team 6 hated they missed it!
    Nest #12 hatched at about 11:30 with 55 hatchlings making it quickly into the water.
    All visitors were helpful and in awe of the experience!  Our volunteers were, too!
    The Morning Patrol got out before the rain this morning and reported that no new nests were laid and no other nests hatched during the night.  Nest #58 and maybe #53 had over wash or splash overs.  Nest #70 and Nest # 9 had crab holes.

  • Monday, July 26

    WOW, Oh, WOW! Congratulations to Team 8 on the First Emergence!!

    We got a call at about 10;00 am that Nest #9 had a big hole.  It indeed had a large hole.  It appeared that hatchlings probably came out during the first hard rain this morning after Morning Patrol.  Martha, Marianne and I talked with the helpful visitors.  Unfortunately, they found a dead hatchling several feet away from the bottom of the green (ghost crab attack).  The hatchling was Fully developed and did not have a yolk sac, so those babies were ready! Also unfortunately, we have no way of knowing how many came out.  Very Exciting!

    While sitting at Nest #1 last night, focused on looking for hatchlings, we just missed a Mama turtle lay her eggs 40 yards west of us! Visitors were leaving and almost ran into it. She was on her way back to the ocean. (Nest #82)

    Added bonus, we saw a magnificent shooting star with amazing colors. Almost thought it was fireworks!

    Nest #1 did not hatch last night and had no action this morning.
    Morning Patrol had 3 nests total.  These Mama’s aren’t making it easy for us to find the eggs!  We need to send them the slideshow from N.C. Wildlife!

    • Nest #82 Crawl Width: 95 cm/37″
    • Nest #83 Crawl Width: 95 cm/37″
    • Nest #84 Crawl Width:. 80cm/32″
    • Nests #58 and #53 has splash overs. Nests #1 and #12 has splashes up runways
    • Nest #12 has a divot
    • TONIGHT SHOULD BE VERY INTERESTING!  I have a feeling this week is going to be like popcorn popping!
  • Sunday, July 25

    Well, it’s been an exciting 24 hours!
    Nest #1 developed a divot in the center of the nest yesterday afternoon.  It was impressive by the time 6:30 pm rolled around.  LOTS of visitors stopped by to ask questions and sit for a while.  Between 11:30pm – 12:30 am we called “TIME” and went home.  Morning Patrol reported just a slight indentation this morning, so who knows?

     Also last night after we left Nest #1 we got a message about a Mama nesting in the 600 block.  We messaged back that our Morning Patrol would check it this morning.  They checked and dug and dug and dug.  Called it a False Crawl and then the man messaged that the turtle was there for over an hour.  So they went back and dug, called in reinforcements and dug some more.  It is now marked as a Nesting Site!  We’ll see if something happens in 50-60 days.

    No other crawls this morning. Nests 16 and 70 had crab holes
    Nesting Site #2 Crawl Width: 33″


    Best of luck to all the teams out there tonight and this week!  Jamie

  • Saturday, July 24

    No new nests today and no hatchlings emerged, either.  Come on, babies!  Hoping the Full Moon tonight will get us some action!

    Nest #58 and #70 were splashed over again from the King TIde. The tide should start receding on this cycle today.

     Nest #52 and #70 had crab holes and another Nest had lots of ants.

    As more of us set up our greens I thought you’d like to see Team 5’s set up with poles and bright pink tape, rather than rope.  We bought some tape and can buy more if your team would like to use it.  Your ropes can be used to extend towards the water if necessary.  Just let us know!  I’m attaching a picture.

  • Friday, July 23

    We have one new nest today and another hole!  This hole looked like it was ready for a coffin to be lowered.  

    Nest #81 Crawl Width:  92cm/36″

    It is a Full Moon for the next few nights AND a King Tide!  High Tide tonight is at 7:49 pm. The morning high tides are not as high as the evening/night high tides.   Please make sure your runways are above the high tide before you leave your nest each evening.

    Nests #58 and #70 had slight overwashes Nest #70 also had a crab hole and the loss of 1 egg

  • Thursday, July 22

    One new nest this morning and one HUGE hole.  We knocked on the door of the house behind the hole.  We kindly let them know that holes that big can be a danger to people walking on the beach at night and our Mama Sea Turtles.  They assured us they would fill it in today.  Let’s keep passing the word to fill in holes!
    Nest #80Crawl Width:  35″

  • Tuesday, July 20

    2 new nests and 1 false crawl today!  Theresa was really excited to find the eggs this morning!  Yay, Theresa!

    Nest #77 Crawl Width:  34″
    Nest #78 Crawl Width:  33″

    There have been a few negative posts on Facebook recently made by the unofficial Turtle group.  We as Caswell Beach Turtle Watch are working hard to protect our turtles and nests and to educate the public.  We will continue to be VERY positive in our comments and inclusive of all who wish to sit with us at nests!  We have had some lovely families talking with us in the mornings and at nest greenings.  All have positive things to say about our program.  Try not to get discouraged by the little bit of negative out there.  I will try to heed my own advice!
    As to the comments about the deceased loggerhead from last week from this group wondering if it had ingested plastics.  We were in contact with the state about this turtle prior to burial. It was speculated that this was probably a cold stunned turtle from late spring that never recovered.  If it had made it to shore sooner, we could have transported it to the turtle hospital for care.  Evidently, Loggerheads rarely ingest plastics, but Leatherbacks are known for this. The turtle hospitals and aquariums cannot take in all deceased turtles for Necropsies.  They have their hands full working to save the sick and injured turtles in their care.  Unfortunately, we can’t save them all.  We are working on getting some Necropsy Training.
    We are all about to get busy in an amazing way!   Enjoy every minute!! Jamie

  • Monday, July 19

    Nest #76 was marked this morning before the rains hit!  We seem to be on a roll with onenest days here lately.

    Nest #76 Crawl Width:  68cm/27″  (She was a small one!)

    A few nests were able to get greened before or after the storms last night and this morning.  Thanks for being careful out there!  

  • Sunday, July 18

    One new nest and no false crawls today.There are a lot of greenings happening this week and the weather may or may not be favorable.  Please use caution!

    Nest #75 Crawl Width:  98cm/38.5″

  • Saturday, July 17

    2 new nests today and a message in a bottle (we haven’t opened it, yet)!
    Nest #73 Crawl Width:  36″
    Nest #74 Crawl Width:  39.5″

  • Friday, July 16

    One new nest today.  She climbed way up on top of a dune.  This is an area that has lost a lot of beach and the tide comes all the way to the dunes even when it’s not a full/new moon.  Very smart Mama, but greening will be a challenge!


    Nest #72 Crawl Width:  90cm/35.5 ”
    BUCKLE UP, THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET BUSY!

  • Thursday, July 15

    2 new nests and 3 false crawls today!

    • Nest #70 Crawl Width:  99cm/39″
    • Nest #71 Crawl Width:  79cm/31″
  • Wednesday, July 14

    One new nest today.  Mama hid them really well!

    Nest #69 Crawl Width:  100cm/42″

    Patrol delivered Green to Nests 1-8 today as it looks like they will all need to be collared this weekend.  Look for emails from your team leaders for times.  More Green will be delivered tomorrow to some of the next nests in line.  So many at the same time period

  • Tuesday, July 13

    A beautiful sunrise, one new nest  with a really long crawl and a deceased Dolphin today.  UNC-W is coming to examine the Dolphin.


    Nest #68 Crawl Width:  90.8cm/35″

  • Monday, July 12

    Whew!  What a morning! 2 nests and 2 false crawls (both crawl widths were the same as Nest 67). Sadly and hour after Morning Patrol we got a call about a deceased juvenile Loggerhead at Fort Caswell’s beach.  We filled out the report for the State and buried it in the dune.  

    Nest #66 Crawl Width:  44″ 140 relocated eggs (laid in a low spot at the East Point)
    Nest #67Crawl Width:  28″

  • Sunday, July 11

    Joy and Kathleen’s luck ran out today, 2 False Crawls.  They were interesting ones, though!

  • Saturday, July 10

    One nest and 2 false crawls this morning!  The nest was laid right on top of last night’s high tide debris so we relocated to a safer area.  One of the false crawl’s is a cancer ribbon!


    Nest #65 Crawl Width:  80.0cm/35″120 Eggs relocated. Small spacer egg was used for DNA

  • Friday, July 9

    WOW, Y’all, it’s JOY!  She draws them in!  7 crawls today.  4 False Crawls and 3 Nests!
    3 False Crawls on the East End all had the same crawl width.  One of the body pit areas had Coyote tracks all over it.  Guess he scared her away!

    • Nest #62 Crawl Width:  84cm/33″
    • Nest #63 Crawl Width:  96cm/38 She made 2 attempts.  She left an empty nest cavity before moving farther up the dune to nest.
    • Nest #64 Crawl Width:  84cm/33″

    Many Nests were overwashed, most were just a splash but a couple were still a bit wet on top.

    • 2-Splashed
    • 12-Crab hole in center.  Piece of eggshell on top. Saw a good egg in the crab tunnel.
    • 19-Wet on top
    • 20-Wet and sign pushed over
    • 26-Wet and log washed up to nest posts
    • 30-Splashed
    • 33-Wet on top
    • 34-Splashed
    • 36-Splashed
    • 39-Splashed
    • 53-Splashed
    • 55-Wet on top
  • Thursday, July 8

    We got out early this morning to try and beat any storms passing through.  Things started getting heated just as we were finishing up a relocation!  One nest today laid just over a high tide escarpment.  We almost missed it!  It is an area we have to ride up high because of the narrow beach and mid beach escarpment!  Thanks to our new walking friend, Ginger, for making sure we saw it!  Ginger is new to the area and very excited about our turtles!  The tide was almost high when we came in and it didn’t look like any nests would get overwashed.  Keep your fingers crossed for tonight’s high tide!


    Nest #61 Crawl Width:  66.04cm/26″  (SMALL MAMA!) Relocated 95 eggs

  • Wednesday, July 7

    Nothing on Tuesday.

    2 false crawls today. We are hoping all turtles and nests stay safe with the approaching storm!  You guys be safe, too!  We will keep you informed of nest conditions after the storm passes.

  • Monday, July 5

    1 new nest today and 1 false crawl.  We think they were the same turtle.


    Nest #60 Crawl Width:  100cm/39″

  • Sunday, July 4

    Our Mama’s seem to be especially fond of Joy, Kathleen and Wanda!  4 nests and 1 false crawl today!

    • Nest #56 Crawl Width:  92cm/36″
    • Nest #57 Crawl Width:  95cm/37.5″ 105 Eggs Relocated
    • Nest #58 Crawl Width:  85cm/33.5″
    • Nest #59 Crawl Width:  107cm/42″
  • Friday, July 2

    We’ve hit the Speed Limit, but hopefully not the nest limit!

    Nest #55 Crawl Width:  91cm/39″

  • Thursday, July 1

    One interesting crawl today which tried to trick us!  We finally found the eggs, though!

    Nest #54 Crawl Width:  86cm/34″

  • Wednesday, June 30

    One nest again today!

    Nest #53 Crawl Width:  107cm/42″

  • Tuesday, June 29

    Our girl crawled way up the beach into the dune today!  This location is near yesterday’s nest.  Sisters maybe?


    Nest #52 Crawl Width:  87cm/34″

  • Monday, June 28

    One new nest today.  Tom and Barbara politely request that Joy, Kathleen and Wanda share some of their nesting activities, LOL!

     
    I received a call at 10:30 last night about this nesting Mama.  The out of town visitors were the only ones to see her and kept a very long, respected distance.  She nested in the dune between 2 of the Christmas Trees that had been added for sand collection.  She was either very, very smart or very, very lucky!

  • Sunday, June 27

    Wow!  The Morning Patrol had to call for reinforcements today!  They had 3 false crawls, 1 Nesting Site and 4 new nests bringing us to 50 for sure and one more maybe.  Thanks to the Morning Patrol for working extra hard! One mama walked through a wedding pergola, over a stack of wood and nested on the other side.  The eggs were relocated because the nest was right next to the pergola post.

    • Nest #47 Crawl Width:  87cm/34″
    • Nest #48 Crawl Width: 90.4cm/37″
    • Nest #49 Crawl Width: 80.5cm/33-1/4″
    • Nest #50 Crawl Width: 89cm/35″
    • Nesting Site Crawl Width: 86cm/34″

    Crabs got into Nest #29 AGAIN!  Kathleen actually saw the eggs at the end of the crab tunnel.  They covered it again.

  • Friday, June 25

    3 new nests today!

    Nest #44 Crawl Width:  91 cm/36″ 136 Eggs Relocated
    Nest #45 Crawl Width:  89 cm/35″
    Nest #46 Crawl Width: 94 cm/37″ 113 Eggs Relocated


    We are sad to report that yesterday’s little Kemp’s rescue did not survive it’s injuries 😢  Thanks to Glenn and Wanda for transporting and giving it a chance!

  • Thursday, June 24

    We had one nest today.  The Mama zig-zagged a bit before she settled on her spot.  She picked a good one!  Nest #43 Crawl Width:  87 cm/34″

    We had several nests overwashed a bit from the King Tide last evening.  We’ve been told that a little overwash is OK. 

    • Overwashed:
    • Nest #2
    • Nest #15
    • Nest #20 (More than just a splash)
    • Nest #26Nest #33
  • Wednesday, June 23

    Nest #41 Crawl Width:  93 cm/36″ 90 relocated eggs
    Nest #42 Crawl Width:  100 cm/39″

    The Merchandise Team will be at Caswell Beach Town Hall again on Friday, June 25th from 9:00-11:00 am.  Inventory is getting low, but we are reordering everything!

  • Tuesday, June22
    Oh, What a Night and a Day!

    We got a call about a Mama laying last night around 9:00. Went down to flag the nest and found another Mama laying! 2 at the same time less than a block apart. We kept our distance and let them do their thing. Several very respectful visitors were excited to witness the beauty of nature!
    Morning Patrol found the eggs and marked the nests and had 2 others in addition!
    ***This morning we got a call about a turtle on the beach. By the time Teresa got there, Mama KEMP’S was going back into the water. Teresa was able scan for tags (non found). Of course, I missed it again! The nest was HARD to find, just like the first Kemp’s. A sweet family was there to capture pictures and video.

    Nest #36 (Teresa and I saw this one) 81.2 cm/32″ Crawl Width:  81.2 cm/32″
    Nest #37 Crawl Width:  93.9 cm/37″ 126 Eggs Relocated (the bottom of the nest had standing water)
    Nest #38 (I saw this one after a visitor called Crawl Width:  99 cm/39″ 
    Nest #39 Crawl Width:  91.4 cm/36″
    Nest #40 (Kemp’s laid around 9-9:30 this morning) Crawl Width: (Can’t remember, it’s written in the buggy book!) 64 eggs relocated to the dune.

    Visitors sent us some of the pictures:
  • Monday, June 21

    Can you say WINDY?  Morning Patrol checked as carefully as they could and did not find any crawls or nests.

    The high tide was at 4:44 and the wind was significant enough to erase crawl traces in the softer sand.  We are hoping the Mama’s were too smart to come out in those conditions!

  • Sunday, June 20

    It was a stormy start to the morning!   The Morning Patrol headed out early, but had to turn around and wait out the storm.

     
    No new nests.  Crabs got into Nest #29 and one piece of an egg shell was found.

  • Saturday, June 19

    No new nests today, but all current nests are sitting well.


    13-14 Balloons and debris from a Fireworks/Drinking Party were collected.

  • Friday, June 18

    Nest #35 was laid just over the high tide line and was relocated for safety.

    • Crawl Width:  94cm/37″
    • Relocated Eggs: 117

    Matthew Godfrey, our State Sea Turtle Biologist, came for a survey ride down our beach.  We were able to show him our current nests, ask about problematic erosion and flood areas, etc.  So far, he thinks we’ve made good decisions and understands our concerns in the problematic areas.

    He is also very excited about our Kemp’s Nest and will be getting that DNA to the lab next week!


    He let us know that they have Duke Interns working on revising the Sea Turtle Handbook.  He’s hoping to have some of the revised information out by the time hatching begins. 

    He did answer questions for us:

    • *Inventories should be conducted at least 72 hours after a good emergence.  This could be early morning or late evening when the sand is cool and the sky is not bright.
    • *Red Lights should be used only in emergencies to check for wayward hatchlings after an emergence has made it to the water.  If you are leaving for the night and it is truly VERY DARK (no Moon), you may shine the red light off to the side to check for activity.  We will not be doing this for visitor’s curiosity.  Only when leaving for the night.
    • *Green Placement will be uniform this year.  Please see the attached photo and excuse my drawing!  The green should continue straight down from the front poles down to the wet sand and then fan out at the end (no indenting).  Visitors need to stay behind your roped off area.  Visitors and Volunteers should not be in the wet sand or water.  Please keep all behind the fanned out area.
    • Look for us in the State Port Pilot either next week or the week after.  Lee Hinnant interviewed us, Matthew and our Merchandising Team!

  • Wednesday, June 16

    Nest #34

    Crawl Width:  87cm/34″

  • Tuesday, June 15

    Today’s Mamas started a new neighborhood!  

    • Nest #32
    • Crawl Width:  97cm/38″
    • Nest #33
    • Crawl Width:  81cm/32″

  • Monday, June 14

    2 Nests and a False Crawl today!


    False Crawl  Crawl Width:  87cm/34″


    Nest #30 Crawl Width: 89cm/35″
    Nest #31 Crawl Width:  92cm/36″

  • Sunday, June 13
    • One False Crawl
    • Crawl Width:  75cm/30.5″
    • Location:  East of the Tom Hess Access
    • Nest #29
    • Crawl Width:  89cm/32.5″
    • 2 crab holes were present upon arrival.  2 empty eggs shells were found.
  • Saturday, June 12

    Mama Turtles gave the Morning Patrol a break with only one nest today.  Of course, we don’t mind multiples!


    Nest #28 Crawl width:  89cm/35″ Laid in a safe location

  • Friday, June 11
    It’s Quintuplets!

    5 new nests today and 1 false crawl!  27 Nests!!This time last year (2020) we only had 14 nests.  This time in 2019 we had 28 nests.
    • Nest 23 Crawl Width:  89 cm/35″ Laid in safe location in line with vegetation.
    • Nest 24 Crawl Width: 89cm/35″ 123 eggs relocated.
    • Nest 25 Crawl Width:  85 cm/33.5″ Laid in safe location.
    • Nest 26 Crawl Width:  85 cm/33.5″ Laid in safe location.
    • Nest 27 Crawl Width:  89 cm/35″ Laid in safe location.
  • Thursday, June 10

    Nest #21 was laid in a sloughing dune.

    • Crawl width:94cm/37.5″
    • Relocated Eggs:  109

    The Kemp’s Ridley Nesting Site was a nest! After viewing the videos on computer screens, we checked a different area of the grid this morning and Wanda was able to find the eggs!  Matthew Godfrey from the State gave us permission to relocate the eggs to a safer location.  There is a narrow ‘window of opportunity’ for moving eggs.  After a certain amount of time the embryo attaches to the inside of the egg shell.  Any jostling or turning upside down can cause the embryo to pull away and the development ceases.  

    • Nest #22 ~ Kemp’s Ridley
    • Crawl width:  55.8cm/22″
    • Relocated Eggs: 91
  • Wednesday, June 9 (More)

    Looks like we had a Kemp’s Ridley try to nest this afternoon on Caswell Beach at the Tom Hess Access (Ocean Green’s).  Tom and Barbara saw her as she was covering up her digging area.  Teresa got there to see her go back to the water. Then 6 of us tried and tried and dug and dug for 3 hours to find the eggs.  We came up empty!  Don’t know if she was practicing or got spooked, or if the eggs are hidden too well.  We would have relocated them if we could have found them as they were below one of the high tide lines.  We marked the area as a Nesting Site and will keep an eye on it over time.

    Click on picture to view video
  • Wednesday, June 9
     Triple Crown

    We have 3 more nests today, all in safe locations!  Also, Teresa and Barb worked hard to fill in a very large hole east of the OKI pier. 
     
    Nest #18 Crawl width:  85cm/33″
    Nest #19 Crawl width:  90cm/35″
    Nest #20 Crawl width:  102cm/40″

    We have some Mamas nesting in “Neighborhoods” near other nests!  It will be interesting to see what DNA shows!
    *Nest #17 had a crab hole with one egg damaged 😣
  • Tuesday, June 8

    Today’s Mama circled around one area and moved up a little bit to actually lay.  2 pretty circle tracks!  Our Pro’s Gary & Susan knew just where to look.  Theresa is getting a lot of great training on the job!  A spacer egg (smaller) was used for DNA.  2 eggs had odd nodules on them.  We will see what happens with those!

    • Nest #17
      • Crawl width:  99 cm/39″
      • 82 Eggs were relocated above the high tide line

  • Sunday, June 6

    Nest #16 was laid in an area known for heavy flooding, so it was relocated.
    Thanks to Joy for the great pictures!  Beautiful sunrise reflections!

    • Nest 16
      • Crawl width:  93 cm/36.5″
      • eggs relocated: 109
  • Thursday, June 3

    We are now tied with Cape Hatteras for the most nests in NC (if their data is correct)!

    1 False Crawl.  Craw Width:  84 cm/33″. Location:  West of Joe O’Brien Access, in front of 906 CB Rd.


    Nest 15 Crawl WIdth:  89 cm/35″. Laid just at/above the King Tide line and covered with wire.

  • Wednesday, June 2

    Morning Patrol had an adventure following today’s Mama’s crawl to and from the nest!  She also didn’t make it easy for them to find the eggs!  All in a days work, lol.

    Nest 14 Crawl width: 82 cm/33″

  • Tuesday, June 1

    June 1st has a Hat Trick!

    Three new nests today, all located in safe locations!

    Nest 11 Crawl width:  86 cm/34″
    Nest 12 Crawl width:  104 cm/41″
    Nest 13 Crawl width:  96.5 cm/38″

  • Sunday, May 30

    Joy, Kathleen and Wanda worked hard to find the eggs today!   We had 2 new nests and one false crawl.

    The False Crawl was located east of  Fort Caswell’s Maritime Way Access.  Mama climbed up the escarpment, dug a hole, left no eggs and didn’t cover the hole. Crawl width:  89 cm/35″

    Nest 9 Crawl width:  95cm/37″. 143 Eggs relocated above the high tide line

    Nest 10 Crawl width:  67 cm/26″  (SHE WAS SMALL!). 126 Eggs relocated above the high tide line.

    Last year Nest 8 was laid on May 29th and Nest 9 was laid on May 31st, so we are a little ahead of those stats even with our late start!

  • Saturday, May 29

    Quiet and Windy

    No new nests today.  Nest 2 was slightly overwashed, probably tide and wind related.  Not to worry, Karen Clark from NC Wildlife said a little overwash is ok.  We will be hopeful!

    _____________________

  • Friday, May 28

    IT’S QUADRUPLETS

    We had 4 nests this morning!!!  All were laid in safe locations, too!

    • Nest 5 – Crawl width: 102 cm/40″
    • Nest 6 – Crawl width: 96 cm/38″
    • Nest 7 – Crawl width: 81 cm/32″
    • Nest 8 – Crawl width: 81 cm/32″
  • Thursday, May 27

    We had 3 new nests today and 2 false crawls!  The false crawls had the same crawl width as the Nest 2 Mama and were just east and west of Nest 2.

     Nest 2 ~ She worked hard for this one! Crawl width:  86 cm/34 inches in a safe location, Eggs In Situ. The false crawls were attempted where the beach has a very steep mid beach escarpment.

    Nest 3 – Crawl width:  80 cm/32 inches, 63 Eggs were relocated above the high tide line. I was called out for this one at 2:45am.  She dropped 2 eggs mid-crawl on her way back to the ocean.  Crabs got into one of them. 

    Nest 4 – Crawl width:  93 cm/36.5 inches, 136 Eggs were relocated above the high tide line. 6 Eggs were damaged by Ghost Crabs so one of those was used for DNA.

    We had some very nice and excited visitors who were happy to see the tracks and hear about the process!

  • Tuesday, May 25

    We have a nest!!!!! Nest #1

    99 cm crawl (39 inch)

    68 Eggs relocated to above the high tide line

  • Saturday, May 1

    Happy First Day of Nesting Season!!!
    No turtle activity today, but it won’t be long!  From now on we will not email the Morning Patrol report unless there is activity. We picked up some trash and put out a still smoldering bonfire. The King tides this week did cause some mid-beach escarpment ledges in a few areas.

        
    FYI:  4 of our Morning Patrol will be assisting Oak Island in the night patrolling of Oak Island’s Dredge/Nourishment Project.  The project was extended until May 15th at this time.  We had experience with this in 2018 and are happy to help out our neighbors!  Let’s all hope and pray the turtles are safe during this time.


    Wednesday we had a large dead Loggerhead at the East Point.  It had been cut in half from head to tail.  We were of course worried that it had been dredge related, but our state biologist said it looked like a large boat or ship strike. 

  • Looking Forward to 2021

    The new turtle season will be starting early May. Stay tuned…