Two Nests Emerged Overnight!!

Great morning on the beach today -- Dave and Barb walked the lower end this morning. Barb and Steve's granddaughter Mia was along to supervise.  First stop, Nest #R4 where we found that a ghost crab had made a large hole right over the center of the nest.  Dave tried the stick route to try to get the crab out of the hole, but he discovered that the hole wasn't very deep and there was no crab in sight.

Next, a check on Nest #5 just down the way.  There were all sorts of tracks but we weren't sure if they were ghost crabs or turtles??  There was a depression over the nest cavity and lots of crab tracks around it too.

Then we checked the damp sand closer to the high tide line - yes, these were definitely turtle tracks! And lots of them too.

That's a hatchling track

Turtle hatchling tracks coming over the dune

Then, a call from the upper end of the island - Paulette and Steve found that Nest #3 had also emerged overnight:  again, looks like lots of tracks.

Nest #3 at the upper end

Inventories are planned for these two nests on Wednesday morning.

Barb and Steve