Happy Saturday! Lots to report today!!
No new crawls, but we found a “Wild Nest” thanks for Susan’s Eagle Eyes at the Public Parking area. It was originally marked as a false crawl on June 5th. A dead hatchling was reported near there yesterday (150 yards west), but no other hatchling tracks were found there. We checked the false crawl records and went back to dig this morning. BINGO, Nest #94 and 1 live hatchling was found. He was extremely grateful to be released as he was trapped under 119 egg shells and 7 unhatched eggs!
FRIDAY NIGHT:
- Nest #20 Inventory
- Live- 2 (1 had difficulty swimming, he just wanted to float)
- Dead- 0
- Unhatched- 90
- Hatched Egg Shells- 75
- Interesting outcome for 165 eggs!!! Large nests tend not to do so well %-wise.
- Nest #22 Inventory
- Live- 2
- Dead- 8 (Crab activity)
- Pipped- 3
- Unhatched- 2
- Hatched Egg Shells- 102
- This nest trickled before it boiled.
- Nest #23 Inventory
- Live- 0
- Dead- 0
- Unhatched-6
- Hatched Egg Shells-92
- Pieces-handful
- 98 hatchlings were seen from this nest, so some of those pieces add up to 6 shells.
- More on Friday Night Happenings
- Nest #27 boiled with 43 hatchlings
- Nest #34 boiled with 100 hatchlings
- Nest #29 had 2 hatchlings emerge.
- Team 9 would like to thank Team 4 for stepping in and taking charge of Nest #29 as Team 9’s other nest, #27, was boiling! THANKS TEAM 4!!!!! You guys are awesome!
SATURDAY MORNING:
- Nest #34 had a few more hatchlings emerge overnight
- Nest #75 had a crab hole with 1 eggshell removed + a hump that looked like a mole tunnel.
- Nest #94 Emergency Inventory (Wild Nest)
- Live- 1
- Dead- 0
- Unhatched- 7
- Hatched Egg Shells-119
- Woo Hoo!!
*This conservation work for protected sea turtles on Caswell Beach is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES Permit 22ST03)
