Sunday June 12, 2016: one new nest; two stranded, dead turtles

Ghost crabs were caught mating during the arrival of a new day on Waties Island

Unfortunately we did not catch the thieving ghost crabs who removed an egg from Nest #9!

                 Sadly a stranded loggerhead was determined beyond our help near Hog's Inlet.

Another stranded turtle -- a Kemp's Ridley -- was determined dead near Marker 4.

The necessary observations and measurements were made on the stranded Kemp's Ridley to report to the seaturtle.org stranding database.

Later we returned to the stranded loggerhead to make, once again, the necessary observations and measurements to report to the seaturtle.org stranding datatbase.

           A tiny crab crawled from the posterior end of the stranded loggerhead's carapace.

        On a day tinged with sadness, happily ANOTHER crawl (near Marker 4) was discovered -- five  crawls on Waties Island in three days!

                                                     

                                                          The probable nest is located.

                                    Robin, a visitor, begins a search for the egg chamber.

                 

           The egg chamber is revealed!  The decision was made to leave Nest #10 in place although it might be in danger of extremely high tides.

                   Marge and Karen measure the width of the female loggerhead's tracks.

                  Nest #10 is celebrated by Margie, Robin, Karen, Marcelle, Emily, Barb, and Steve!!!!!

           Nick, Robin, Margie, Marcelle, Emily, Barb, and Steve posing at the happy site, #10!!!!!

One false crawl, and one new nest discovered. New nest, with 105 eggs moved to higher location, Saturday June 11, 2016 7:00 A.M.

Pictures by Nick R.

Our first discovery between marker 3 and 4 proved to be a false crawl.  As a timely rainbow indicated, however, our second find proved very fruitful  --"eggful", that is!

A second set of tracks leads to nest #9 for the season!

 Jackie A. is measuring the width of the tracks.

 Marcelle R. and Jeanne K. are searching for the egg chamber.

 Success -- the first egg is revealed!

 A decision was made by Steve D. to relocate the nest.

 One by one the eggs are removed.

 A total of 108 eggs were removed from the loggerhead's egg chamber.  Three eggs, however, were broken, one with no yolk and two with a yolk.  A yolked one was kept for the required DNA sample.

 The nest was relocated near marker 2.

 A total of 105 eggs now await hatching.

The relocaters -- Pat K., Marcelle R., Jeanne K., Barb D., and Jackie A.

The relocaters plus the chamber digger, Steve D.

                                                   Our photographer, Nick R.