Wednesday 6/29/22 FC #13

Doppler showed no thunder or lightning, but a chance of rain  We lucked out.  No rain.  Those walking the lower end notified us they found a crawl and what looked like a body pit.  Tide was still below the crawl.  Pictures were taken.  Crawl was 32" and both were the same length due to the previous high tide.  crawl was found between MM1 & 2 and before Nest #11R.

 

We probed the whole body pit and into the crawl as they over lapped.  Found no eggs.  

 

We also checked on the PN4 from yesterday. The volunteers yesterday searched and searched for the nest but couldn't find it. We found ghost crab holes today but still no eggs.

PN4 from June 28

Looking unsuccessfully

PN4 on June 28

PN4 today

Maybe those pesky ghost crabs will help us this time by finding the nest chamber.

Pictures thanks to Ayana 
 

Busy Saturday Morning

 Not one, but two crawls this morning...

At the beach vehicle entrance we found a crawl where the tracks were clearly visible in the wet sand but had blown over higher on the beach. Still it looked promising. Those tracks looked familiar too - was this the turtle who nested here two weeks ago? But on to check the rest of the beach first.

Only a few yards beyond Marker 5 we found another crawl. Again, it looked promising! Steve and Kaela investigated this one while we checked the rest of the beach.

Sure looked promising!

A strange track with a "squiggle" in the middle???

Probing and probing and probing...

And finding nothing. So just to be sure we didn't miss something, we removed about 8 inches of sand over the entire potential nest site and probed all over again. Still nothing, but this site bears watching for signs of hatchlings in the future.

Had to conclude that it might not be a nest - PN#3

Always an exciting morning to find tracks on the beach

Back to the entrance were we found a nest! Yeah!! Number 11 for the season. Because it was in the path of vehicles entering the beach, we moved it just to the right of Marker 2. Great to have help this morning; it is a team effort for sure.

Wind had blown the sand - tough to tell where the nest might be

Nest 11!

This one is being moved to a safer spot

Good job team!

And a flyover too -- a hang glider made a trip up the beach. Beautiful morning for a flight.

Barb and Steve

Friday, June 24 Nest 10

Our Friday walkers found a crawl just past marker 5. A beautiful long crawl and distinct  and large body pit at the foot of the dunes. The crawl was 33 inches. The huge mound of sand in the center of

the pit pointed to the nest location, but finding the eggs proved difficult. After extensive probing, I used the handle of the probe and removed that mound of sand and started over.  Eggs found 18 inches deep. So, with the mound the nesting turtle pushed over the nest, the eggs were buried 24 inches deep. She wanted those eggs hidden.

We took the first egg found for our DNA sample and marked the nest site as Nest 10. A good day for

our small group of volunteers.

Post by Paulette

Pictures by Paulette and Melissa

A long crawl to the dunes

Close up 

That mound is huge

A deep dig for that egg

Our young guest loved helping

Nest with secondary poles

These three were busy today for Nest 10

Thursday, June 23, 2022

 Brenda and Kim discovered the crawl on the upper end and we headed up that way.  Bill delivered the new poles to MM#7 and we continued to the crawl.

It was located just below MM#6. The track in the wet sand was windblown and the track in the soft sand had been obliterated. A nice body pit was located up on the dune.

We probed and probed but found nothing. We marked it as a false crawl.

There was a very large critter prowling between MM#5 and MM#6.

Wednesday 6/22/22 Two Nests!!

 Obviously we had a very busy morning.  But first, right off the bat, lots of animal tracks along the dunes and on the beach.  None of the nests were disturbed.  Odd though, not to see any birds or Ghost Crabs running around.  Between MM 6 and MM 7 we had two crawls.  Made our calls and continued our walk as the tide was going out.  

 Nest #8R - was after Nest #2R and before Nest #7.  We picked up the poles from MM7 on our way back and met at the site we knew was a nest.  

Crawl is 31"

With a very wide drag mark

Nest site from dune shows nest on Spring Tide Line.

Nest from the Right side shows crab holes.

Ocean side of nest.

12+" deep.  Our Turtle laid 105 eggs

Nest 8Rs new site up in the dune.

Nest #9R - Next we went down to the crawl that was closer to MM6.  Crawl measured 32" and was between MM6 and MM7.  Closer to MM6 and before Nest #2R. This site was very neat!  Very little thrown sand and minimal scarping.  Turned out to be our 2nd nest.  

Crawl measured 32"

  Original Nest was shallow, approx. 6" down.  She laid 105 eggs.

We moved this nest up into the dune and to the right of the original nest.  

End of a long morning.  Thank goodness it wasn't too hot!

Monday, June 20th Nest #7R - False Crawl #11

 Exciting morning, starting with a stunning sunrise.

 

 

 The Monday volunteers walking the long end came across a crawl right before Marker 7.  Classic textbook crawl and body pit.  She laid right in front of the dune, where it is flat.  We moved her nest left of the original nesting area, and higher upon the dune out of reach of coming high tides this summer.  Her width was 35 inches.  She dug a deep nest, 24 inches deep and we moved 111 eggs which seemed to be on the large size.  There was lots of help, and we had a guest with us today who was excited to be able to help with this event.

Very neat and tidy

Looks similar to Breast Cancer Ribbon

We have eggs

Beth happy to help

 

Deep nest, longer arms were requested

The volunteers had dug a new nest and eggs were transferred to a new nest.

Lots of supervision

Beth double-checking the count

Jo Ann happy to transfer eggs to new nest

Eggshell for DNA research

Great team effort

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also had a False Crawl up close to the jetty.  This lady same in, crawled along the dune, did a Curly-Q, crawled up the dune, right beside of Marker #9, and went over the dune to the backside of the dune.  At first, her exit crawl was not seen, but she did get out from behind the dunes after she crawled around for awhile back there.  So happy she found her way out, she did not nest, so maybe she will be back another day. Her crawl was 34 inches.

Crawled along dune and crawled up by Marker 9

Sled down the backside of the dune

She is heading toward the unknown

Tracking her crawl through the brush

She did make it out and back to the ocean