NMB Nest #4--The nest that kept giving and giving and giving....

NMB Nest #4, 42nd Ave N, Cherry Grove, was located by Arlene.  A very stormy morning, Arlene saw the mother on the beach around 5:30 AM.  She watched as she finished laying and crawled into the ocean.  A major storm blew through, chasing all off the beach.  When Volunteers were finally able to get back, the rain had erased most of the mothers tracks.  But We know where she had laid.  A good nest, just above the HTL, close to the dunes, nest was left where it was, opening the egg chamber just long enough to remove the top egg for DNA Study.

 

August 23, 54 days later, While checking the nest around 7AM, Maddy notices a ghost crab digging into the middle of the egg chamber.  Sand falls and hatchlings are visible on the surface. 

 

 When the lights hits the hatchling, many wake up and crawl out of the hole and make the dash to the ocean.  Soon, no visible turtles are in the nest.  That nights, several small "boils" occurred with more hatchlings emerging in intervals of 30 to 40 minutes apart.  Inventory is started 4 days later, but quickly halted when more hatchlings are fond just under the sand.  Around 11PM that night, more hatchlings emerged, all going to the water.  When Carol checked this nest two days later, she found fresh hatchling tracks.  Nest is Inventoried again on Thursday August 29th.

 

 

For the second time, crowd starts to gather

 

Anxious to see

 

Linda and Carol start to dig

 

 YES,  We have eggs before any hatchlings, we can continue

 

Three hatchlings are found at the bottom of the egg chamber.

 

 

Inventory is finished, Carol surveys the scene

 

everyone wants to see the hatchlings...Children first, please!

 

 

 

 

Active little guys, they want out

 

Time to go

 

WHICH WAY?

 

This way?

 

Maybe this way?

 

Or this way?

 

Yes, wet sand, ocean is near

 

Good Bye, see you in 25 years!

 

 

 

 

Inventory Results:

 

Nest was laid on June 30th.

 

First hatchlings emerged on August 23 in the morning, then again in late evening, then again on August 26th, 27th and 28th.  Inventory on August 29th, still 3 hatchlings in egg chamber.

 

Natural nest, 1 egg taken for DNA study, Nest left where mother laid it.

 

123 Hatched eggs were found in the nest, 8 unhatched, all early development

 

3 live hatchlings, 0 dead hatchlings

 

Nest was over-washed 2 times by high lunar tides in July

 

93.9 hatching success rate!!!

Thank you all!! The nest that keep going and going and going......

Thank you Carol for checking each morning and for helping with the Inventory.  A big thanks to all of the NMB Sea Turtle Patrol Volunteers who checked this nest for 54 days and then again the next 6 days after it emerged the first time.

Thank you Rachells,  Julie and Leslie for your pictures and Videos