Inventory Briarcliffe Nest #9---Last nest of the 2015 season

Briarcliffe nest #9 was laid on July 22nd, 1 day after nest #8.  This nest was the southern most nest, close to the Lands End Condo Complex.   Laid below the Spring HTL, 112 eggs, 111 move back onto a low dune, 1 egg taken fro DNA.   The hatchlings emerged late Saturday night/early Sunday morning, September 20th, exactly one week after nest #8 emerged.  Day 60 of incubation.  A few stragglers emerged the next night.

Larry's dog is interested....did the hatchlings just emerge and scent is still strong?

Tracks go straight to the ocean, over numerous foot prints left in the sand

4 days later, the egg chamber is dug up and inventoried.

Hole is wider and deeper, some tracks are still visible.

Larry and Cheri dig up the egg chamber

One hatched egg is soon found

Then a pipped or egg in which the hatchling started to emerge but died before

coming completely out of the shell.   Head is out.....

Pipped egg, notice how head is sticking out of egg

Another pipped egg, this hatchling was almost completely out of shell

3 pipped eggs

3 whole or unhatched eggs.....one on the right is grayish color,

this one contained a fully formed, large hathcling

hatchling with yolk sac still large and attached

Egg chamber is empty

Inventory results:

112 eggs, nest is laid just below the Spring High Tide Line

111 eggs relocated back into the dunes, 1 egg taken for DNA Study

Hatchlings emerged on Sept. 20, day 60

102 hatched eggs

3 whole or unhatched eggs of which 2 died in early development,

1 egg died in late development, large fully formed hatchlings

6 pipped eggs

no live or dead hatchlings

91.9% hatchling success rate

THANK YOU Larry, Cindy and Cheri for helping with the inventory.  A huge thanks to Larry 

for your pictures.....