MONDAY 8/2/21 NESTS #1 & #2

 First the big  news for Nest #1 at 88 days.  It had two large Ghost Crab holes and a number of egg shells on the surface today.

We sifted through the sand and found more.

We actually lined them up as in an inventory.  We had 5 hatched shells and a small pile of pieces.  This wasn't the first time we had found egg shell pieces. But it was the first time we found so many.

After checking the holes for Ghost Crabs, Leslie and I put on our gloves to check the holes.  Leslie was up to her elbow and I was well past my elbow.  We could tell we were in the nest chamber by the feel of the sand and the hard sides of the nest chamber.  

As we walked away, Ayana spotted a deceased hatchling on the beach - tidal zone, dark sand.  We picked up the hatchling and walked back to the nest site and walked all through the wrack and up into the dune double checking for more hatchlings.  There were none.  And due to the wind and rain again last night there were no signs of any tracks, Ghost Crabs, hatchlings, or other.  

 Nest #2 had a large hole by the reed - but looking at it closer we believe it is an emergence hole.  You can see a ledge where the sand has collapsed and a hole in the collapsed sand.  The only tracks were GC tracks in the loose sand.

A clearer picture of the depression and hole.

Submitted by Leslie & Val