Inventory NMB Nest #3

Two nests on NMB and 1 nest on Briarcliffe emerged on the same night, within 2 hours of each other.

NMB Nest #3, was actually the last nest to emerge, hatchings coming just after mid-night.  This nest was located in the middle of the beach, just north of 17th Ave N public walkway.   Mother had false crawled a few yards to the north, started to dig, gave up, crawled up near the dunes, back down and then a long way pararell to the water before entering.  She then came back and nested in the middle of the beach not far from a trash can.  Early morning sanitation drove over the nest on way to trash can.  Crawl was not very visible, small body pit, half erased but eggs were found and moved back to the dunes.

50 days later, hatchlings emerge just after mid-night.  Inventory after 3 full nights.....

Don and Kim who found the crawl and body pit dig into the egg chamber.

Egg chamber is very deep, lots of sand has accumulated over the eggs...but shells are soon found

Then a live hatchling, more shells

a couple of more live hatchlings

Pipped eggs, hatchling broke out of shell but died before they could crawl out

Live hatchling, anxious to get going

After all egg shells are removed, Holt and Sammy carry 7 hatchlings down, closer to the water to be released.

 

The long journey begins

 

Race is on

Hatched and unhatched shells

Inventory Results:

112 eggs in original nest

1 egg taken for DNA

111 relocated back to the dunes

Eggs incubated for 50 days

97 hatched eggs

14 unhatched of which 2 were pipped, egg shell open, head out

 but hatchling died

2 died in late development

10 died in early development

7 live hatchlings were found, released on the beach

87.4%  hatching success rate!!

Thank you Julie for your great pictures.