Inventory-Nest #3

NMB Nest #3----Found by Larry, Cindy and Cherie on June 24, just at the spring high tide line and very close to the swash separating Briarcliffe from Windy Hill.  Decision was quickly made to relocate this nest further back in the dunes and further south,  away from the swash.  A very shallow nest, this nest was discovered exactly 2 weeks after Nest #2,  DNA results show it was laid by the same mother.

Week of August 17-24-----very stormy week, storms developing in late afternoon.

This picture was taken around 7PM, very low storm clouds.

Saturday, August 18,  afternoon storms developed.  A quick but hard rain passed over the beach just after 4PM. A visiting family looked at the nest around 5:30 PM, no changes were seen in the sand.  But, when Linda and Larry checked the nest at 7PM, this large hole was found. Day 55.  A daytime emergence,  seen by no one?

One lone hatchling emerged later that night,  around 9:30PM and watched by several as it quickly made it's way to the ocean.

Stormy the rest of the week, sand was hard packed and pocked mark from the rain.  No hatchling tracks were ever visible.

After hard rains on Tuesday and Wednesday, Nest is checked again.  Changes in hole, but still no tracks.

Beautiful sky and very peaceful beach early Wednesday evening, as rain lets up.

Inventory is held late Thursday afternoon.  Raining hard for hours, lots of street flooding.

Holt is prepared and eager to start.

Sand has built up on the dunes and over the egg cavity over the last two months.  Larry finds the egg shells deep in the hole, estimated almost 3 feet deep.  

Even though raining, Laura, Rob, Paulette, Cindy, Linda, Debbie, Holt, Larry and Rachelle (taking this picture) are anxious about the nest.

Wet, but the inventory is done.  Great results.....time for a shower?

Nest #3-Briarcliffe Beach

Nest was laid on June 24

Hatchlings emerged on August 18th, day 55

125 eggs were in original nest, 123 eggs were relocated, 2 eggs were found broken in the shallow nest and used for the DNA Study

Inventory was conducted on Thursday, August 23

120 hatched or empty shells

3 unhatched eggs, all died in early development

no live or dead hatchlings were found in the nest

97.6% hatchling success rate!!

A special thanks to Larry for watching this nest so closely and for volunteering to dig up the nest in the rain.  

Thank you Cindy, Cherie and Laura helping relocate the nest and checking every day.  

Thank you Rob, Paulette, Debbie, Cindy,  Laura,  Holt and Rachelle for braving the rain and flooding to observe the inventory.  And a special thanks to Rachelle for the pictures taken in the rain.