Thursday, August 8

WHEW!  Turtles are popping up all over!

Crabs at nests 40 and 34

More hatchling tracks at 36 (1), 30 (several), 35 (1), 39 (1), 38 (more)

Wild nest #101 located at 601 walkway. 

We have had hatchling tracks all over the area so I went out this morning to attempt locating.  When I found nest 101, the dig in stirred the hatchlings and we had a boil.  There were so many that we put down green and built a runway.  Best count was more than 70 emerged.  With all the prior tracks and this number, we decided to excavate.  119 shells, 8 unhatched, 9 pipped and 15 more live ones in the nest.  With that many still in the nest, there must be another wild nest in the area.  There are just too many tracks.

Last night:

  • Nest 40 boiled around 8:00 with 59 turtles and some really excited visitors
  • Nest 30 boiled at 10:00 with 102 hatchlings
  • Nest 35 boiled @ 11:57 with 101 hatchlings
  • Nest 38 had 1 more hatchling
  • Inventory nest 26 – 121 shells, 6 unhatched and 2 live hatchlings