Sunday, July 22nd, Inventory Nest #1, our PN nest has been changed to Nest #13

Day started with a nice sunrise, and no rain.  The nests on the short end were fine, no ghost crab issues, yet.  Our ghost crab issues continue.  Leslie removed a large ghost crab from Nest #6, no egg shells were found.  Paulette reported two more eggs were lost for Nest #4, but no crabs reported in the traps.

Leslie found an eggshell by the large ghost crab hole in front of the PN nest.  So we have nest #13.  More poles were added to try to deter the horseback riders and a ghost crab trap was placed on this new nest.

Nest Inventory #1

Along with the Sunday Walkers, a small group of Waties volunteers and several guests joined the Sunday team out on the island to conduct an inventory of Nest #1. This nest emerged at 60 days which is about average; 55 to 65 days is the usual range. After waiting the required three days (to allow any remaining hatchlings to leave the nest), we uncovered the egg chamber. After removing a few hatched and unhatched eggs, we encountered a live hatchling! The hatchlings that are left in the nest are usually the weaker ones that wouldn't have made it in the natural setting. But we do help them if we encounter them in the nest. This morning, there were five of these hatchlings. All five made their way down the beach and into the water with close supervision by volunteers and guests.

The final outcome:

116 eggs originally laid by the mother
2 shells taken for DNA samples
58 eggs hatched
56 were unhatched
5 live hatchlings
No dead hatchlings

The number of unhatched eggs in this nest was a little higher than average and we did note that several of the eggs seemed to have roots clinging to them.

Bob & Diane, new volunteers for Sunday, got the exciting assignment of digging up Nest #1

The first two hatchlings found in the nest, three others were found

Bob checking to make sure all egg shells have been removed

The egg inventory

Go, go, go  . . . . be safe

The egg shell from our PN nest, now NEST #13