what a morning, and DEBBIE THIS IS YOURS, COME HOME, After my walk I got a call from Dusty and he said he had found a nest, so I drove there and walk another 400 miles, or did it just seem like it. The tide was coming in this morning and our walker missed this nest, it was so low and by the time I got there, all tracks covered by water except the ones of her coming out of the nest cavity. Dusty found it when he tagged a gazebo, and walked over to tag another gazebo, water was up to these two gazebos and the nest hard to see, so walker please don’t feel bad, I took one look, saw thrown sand and started to dig, right where the eggs should be. Well, I dug and dug and then called Karen, and then Dawn called me as she had just marked nest #20 and came to help. We dug and dug and boy, was it hot, finally I found the eggs, all 135 of them, they were UNDER THE OUTGOING TRACKS, RIGHT WHERE YOU WOULD NOT THINK. They were all in water and this young man Mike helped us by digging a trench and counting the eggs as we got them out of the water, What a job. So we moved it straight back, We were so hot and tired but we had Debbie’s nest #21 As you can see by the picture this is all that was not under water but it was under water by the time we got done. Egg under only tracks visible.
UPDATE:
What a story, what a nest, this nest was found by Dusty and by the time I got there the water was up to nest, I called Karen and she came a running, and Dawn was at another nest and she came as soon as she could. We moved 134 egg as the water was sucking them down further and further. What a wet fun that was, so I was not sure just how this nest would go and then came the hatch and the lights, ugh, well, we dug it for evaluation last night and it was great news. I want to thank, Dusty, Mike, Karen and Dawn for their great work, what a group we are. I love you.
94 escaped from the nest, and we hope a lot got to the water
3 were alive in nest and released
1 was dead in nest
28 had no obvious embryo
8 were dead embryos
134 total eggs
73 % nest success rate for a nest we would have lost….WooooHoooo
LOGGERHEAD FOUND BY ANGELIA IN DUNE ALLEN VERY LOW AGAIN
UPDATE:
Nest #20
30A near Oyster Lake
91 escaped from nest
5 live and released
1 hatched but dead
32 no obvious
3 dead embryos
132 eggs total
73 % nest success
This is Mike’s third nest this year, Sherry says he has the lucky flags, and I agree, keep it up Mike. Loggerhead in The Retreat area, near nest #6 This is a beautiful nest, See the thrown sand over int incoming tracks a beautiful soft thrown sand mound. Hurrah
UPDATE:
Nest #9
The Retreat
77 escaped from nest
1 hatched but dead in nest
43 no obvious
121 total eggs
64% nest success
Is in back of Bud and Alley’s in Seaside, I got a call last night around midnight and she only came in 30 feet, people all around and Joe has been in that area at night and oh the flashlights, we must do something about this problem of flashlights on the beach. Seaside should sell red light emitting flashlights. What an ongoing problem. We need help with this problem
UPDATE:
I thought I would pass this on to all, this gang has gotten to see two nests hatch this year, lucky them here is the nest count of #18
94 hatchlings escaped from the nest
2 alive in nest and released
1 dead embryo
7 no obvious embryo
Good work Dan, go a little slower next time and watch for hatchlings, and smile
Loggerhead, Paradise by the Sea, just east of Alys Beach.You can see from the photos, she started a nest complete with a hole dug, then abandoned that to nest a few more feet away. We also had some help knowing where the eggs were. Something scooped out a nice slice of sand but the only tracks were crabs. Any guesses what else it may have been?
UPDATE:
123 escaped from nest
2 alive and released
3 dead in nest
6 no obvious embryo
134 total eggs
93% nest success
found by Sherry in Santa Rosa Beach Are. Loggerhead great tracks again. Nests #14, 15, and #16 are all in the same area and have keep Dawn and Sherry busy, and I will call these Cal’s nests as Dawn had to put a good dog buddy of mine to sleep on Friday afternoon and then 3 nests in a row to keep her busy. All of us with animals can sure relate to this. Love you Dawn, Love you Cal
UPDATE: Nest #15
121 escaped from the nest
16 alive in nest and released
2 dead in nest
11 no obvious embryos
150 eggs total for a nest success of 93%
UPDATE: Nest #16
Dune Allan
79 escaped nest
23 alive and released
7 no obvious embryos
2 dead embryos
111 total eggs
87% nest success
Come on sea turtles where are you, everyone do the turtle dance Nest #14 is a Loggerhead and it is in Santa Rosa Beach in back of the Santa Rosa Beach Club near nest #2.
UPDATE:
Nest #14 Dune Allan
102 escaped nest
2 alive and released
3 dead embryos
107 total eggs
97% nest success
I GOT A CALL ABOUT 12.15 LAST NIGHT FROM FWC ABOUT THIS TURTLE ON THE BEACH, IT LOOKS AS IF SHE HAD WAY TO MUCH COMPANY. PEOPLE TRACKS ALL AROUND HER, WE CAN’T TELL IF SHE NESTED OR NOT. DARN PEOPLE. HOW CAN WE GET FOLKS TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE BEACHES AT NIGHT ARE FOR OUR ENDANGERED FRIENDS, NOT FOR PEOPLE. PEOPLE CAN PARTY OR DO ANYTHING THEY WANT INSIDE OR OUTSIDE AWAY FROM THE BEACH. WE NEED HELP PASSING THIS MESSAGE ALONE SO SEA TURTLES CAN NEST UNITERUBTED IN WALTON COUNTY. WALTON COUNTY BEACHES ARE WAY TO LIGHT AND HAVE WAYA TO MANY PEOPLE ON THEM AFTER DARK. WE EVEN ARE THE ONLY COUNTY TO ALLOW BONFIRES IN SEA TURTLE NESTING SEASON. UGH. THIS MAY BE A GREAT USE FOR SOME OF THE BP MONEY.
I WILL BE SENDING ANOTHER INCIDENT REPORT TO WALTON COUNTY.
UPDATE:
Nest #13
She did not lay eggs, we could not tell because of all the footprints and messed up area
NEST #12 IS A LOGGERHEAD AND IS IN SEASIDE, THEIR SECOND, AT ODESSA ST.
UPDATE:
nest #12 hatched in 65 days
104 escaped and went to the water
11 were found alive in nest and released
1 had no obvious embryo development
total 116 eggs 99 % nest success
Nest #11 at Inlet Beach Public Walkover, odd tracks, and they could not find the eggs but marked it, I don’t think it is a nest, but Val and Jennifer do so we will see just whom is correct….Time will tell. Loggerhead
UPDATE:
Nest #11 Was determined no eggs. False crawl. Washed out by high-water on 9.1.11. Evaluated by Beth Coppedge and Valerie.