Monday, July 26th - Interesting skies and patience for Nest #1

 The Monday Team had an interesting morning with changing skies and weather that gave us a good soaking right as we finished walking.  The King Tide did Overwash both Nest #4 and PN #4.  We picked up lots of trash today, many balloons.  Valerie picked a cluster of balloons that had confetti in them - DO NOT pop these, you will have confetti all over yourself and the beach.

The other news I wish to share is about Nest #1.  I spoke to DNR today and since we know the nest is still viable from our findings last Tuesday, we need to grab onto our patience, you can not rush Mother Nature.  Due to the cooler weather in May these first nests laid do take longer to hatch and emerge.  Per SCDNR they just had a nest on Botany Bay Beach that took 80 days to emerge.  This beach is close to Edisto, so much further south than Waties.  Along with the cool May, we had rain and per SCDNR when a nest gets wet from rain showers it takes a few days to get back up to the temperature for hatchlings to development. 

Nest #2 - had lots of GC traffic around
 the nest.  This nest was laid later in May
and could hatch and emerge
before our Nest #1

.

Those pesky Ghost Crabs attempting
to dig under the cage

Valerie with the cluster of balloons that
are filled with confetti along
with a boat flotation cushion

Oh my, mighty dark over Cherry Grove

It's getting closer . . .

Even after all got soaked, the Monday Team moved forward and placed a metal cage over nest #3R - day 46.  It was an "All Hands" effort.  Many thanks to Janice for taking pictures of us placing the cage over the nest.  

We don't look too bad for being all wet

Leslie