Wild Nest # 9 / Nest Number Dave!

 Our walk today would have been fairly uneventful were it not for the fact that Dave felt a little under the weather this morning and decided not to go the long-end. However, in the time that it took us to get to the final remaining nest on the upper stretch Dave went for a stroll towards the inlet, and discovered something no one was anticipating...

A scattering of eggshells indicated that there had indeed been a wild nest that we didn't know about that was actually laid BEFORE (south of) marker 1.

However, close examination of these eggshells (the color, texture) seemed to indicate that this nest was not yet ready to hatch. In fact, nest robbers (ghost crabs) seem to be the main perpetrators of the discovery.

This is the hole we believe leads into the egg chamber, because it was on the sand as opposed to the many crab holes on the bank. They all had eggshell fragments around them.

Startlingly, if there was any doubt of crabs thieving behind the scenes, it was erased by the sighting of this crab in the grass atop the dune. He had climbed up the precipitous sand bank (a product of severe erosion) dragging a turtle that was still in the egg with its yolk sack still attached. Unfortunately, it was too late for this hatchling. 

Another reason we believe this nest may be premature for hatching is that this turtle is clearly not fully developed.

His flipper was also badly torn from the drag (you can see the blood mixing with the yolk in the picture above).

The hatchling was buried near the supposed nest site.

^^^As evidenced by this erosion of dunes, you can see this is a precarious location for this nest.

If the wild nest was not enough, Dave also found us an injured seagull at the point who is a current resident of our bathtub at home. We jokingly named the nest "nest number Dave", but this makes a ninth nest for the season.

Thanks to Valerie for  taking so many good pictures, to Dave for an impossible knack for finding things, and to Paulette for being prepared for literally ANYTHING. :)

Nest #6 Emerged - 9/4/14

A great walk this morning on Waties Island with Karen Fuss, Regena, Elaine, Barb and Regena's grandsons! We also discovered Nest #6 emerged overnight. Storms around, but we didn't even get wet.

It has been a long spell of watching Nest 5 and 6 for some sign of activity or an emergence and this morning we were rewarded with what appears to be a classic emergence of Nest 6. This is Day 61 for this nest; a little longer than average but still in the expected range. Sometimes before a nest emerges a depression is noticed over the location of the nest indicating activity below the surface and that was not observed with this one. With Nest 5, an emergence was never observed (we may have missed it with the storms). According to SCDNR regulations, unless we observe an emergence, we must wait 75 days to do an inventory and Sunday marks that milestone.

Two Inventories Scheduled for Sunday, September 7.
All are invited to join us for inventories of Nests 5 and 6 on Sunday morning. These nests are bout 1.5 miles up the beach and because of the timing of the tide, we will be walking up the beach. Meet at the shed at 6:30 a.m. and we'll head out to the island. If there are thunderstorms, the inventories will be rescheduled for Monday morning.

Barb and Steve

Checking out the horseshoe crab.

You can see the storms brewing in North Myrtle Beach.

Our work for the day is done.

Nest #4 Inventory, August 23, 2014

Amid the mosquitoes and no-see-ums this morning, a large group of volunteers and guests walked up to Nest #4 to conduct an inventory. The August 20 Wednesday walkers found that this nest had emerged overnight at Day 58 and took pictures of the many tracks heading to the ocean.

This morning the inventory revealed the following:

104 hatched eggshells
    9 unhatched eggs
    1 dead hatchling
    no live hatchlings
(1 egg taken for the genetic sample when it was laid)

Total of 114 eggs, giving us a hatch success ratio of 91.2% according to the seaturtle.org data base. A very good outcome for this nest.

Interestingly, the updated genetic test results show that the turtle who laid this nest, Turtle #5140, also laid Nests #1, 3 and 6 on Waties Island this season. We don't have information yet on who laid Nest 7 or 8; when it is posted, I will share those results. Might even be this same turtle!

Barb and Steve

 A beautiful morning for an inventory!

RH

Excellent Results for Nest 3! :D

 Waites was beautiful as usual this morning, 

...and apparently coughing up some of its treasures. This guy was still breathing, or trying to, so we put him back...though we all figured "swimming on its side" was not a sign of a healthy fish. ;)

And then we found this shark. I suggested we photograph him in the water and pretend he was large and still alive, but somehow no one thought anyone would believe that story.

 Finally towards the jettys on the far end of the island we found our destination, Nest number three. There were eggshell pieces at the top (as shown above).

Valerie helped me sort the eggshells into piles, as it was a long reach down into the hole. The real war was with the gnats (noseeums, if you're southern) that were forming an all but continuous cloud around our heads.

 Still farther to the actual pit!

Paulette helps determine the percentage of shell--

The chamber was a long way down, at one point requiring any diggers/egg counters to lie down for a good reach into the hole.

The eggs were tallied up...

...and we had excellent results! Only five unhatched eggs, leaving us with 103 whole shells--not even counting the "giblets" (meaning broken shell pieces under 50%: that is NOT a technical term, readers) that could easily compose a few hatched eggs on their own. All in all a lovely success ratio and a beautiful, if buggy day on which to have it.

Everyone say "TURTLES!" :)

Nest #4 Emerged!

Nothing new to report about Nest 3 this morning, but Nest 4 emerged sometime overnight right on schedule. It was 58 days old. You can see lots of tracks heading down to the ocean in Linnea's photo (thanks, Linnea). It did rain last night and the hatchling tracks are not quite as clear as they are sometimes, but there is no mistaking those lines on the beach. Might even see a few more make their way out tonight!

Lots of hatchling tracks on their way to the ocean

A couple of eggshells on the surface

 Nest #5 is only a day older that this one, so maybe even more tracks in morning...

Nest #3 Inventory

 Steve H., Karen (a visitor) and I arrived at nest #3 to do the inventory.  The rest of our group, Nancy, Joe, Debbie and Dave, opted to walk and check on the other nests.  When we got there we found three egg shells and what appeared to be three Ghost Crab holes as you see above. 

Then we saw what looked like some very faint hatchling tracks which in the picture looks like it is coming from one of the holes to the side of the nest marker.

We opened the nest.  Steve was up to his shoulder before he found the first sign of a nest.  Not egg shells, but a live hatchling.  He put the hatchling on the sand outside the nest.  The shell was flat and there was no egg yoke. Next Steve found a group of hatchlings and covered the nest back up.  We put the egg shells we found on top of the nest back in as we covered the nest. 
After a minute, the little hatchling we had put on the sand next to the nest started straight for the ocean.  The first bit of water rolled him over, but after that he was off and swimming.