The SC Aquarium recently shared a short feature video on loggerheads. Check it out and share with your friends to let them know what you are working to protect!
Sunday June 6 – Nest 23
Nest 23 was found but not without a lot of effort! Ginger Seabrook called in a crawl towards the end of the Camp St. Christopher buildings. Valerie & Mark Doane and Bill Greubel probed a promising looking body pit extensively to no avail. Fortunately, their persistence eventually paid off as they found the nest near another portion of the crawl that had been covered by wind-blown sand. The 110 eggs were relocated to a safer area.
Tuesday June 8 – Nest 24
Our Zone 3 walkers Bill and Linda Nelson, Tory Kindley and Patt Tamasy called in a long, meandering crawl. Judy Morr and Lesley Gore probed and found 142 eggs, which were relocated above the high tide line. Meanwhile the walkers traced the mama’s tracks and measured her crawl at .39 miles – quite a trek for a creature that does not typically have to support its body weight! We hope she is now getting a well-deserved rest.
Wednesday June 9 – Nest 25
Gail Koornick called in a meandering crawl near peg #3 on Zone 4 this morning which turned into Nest 25. Mike Vinson followed the crawl, which contained two body pits, an abandoned nest chamber, and had an overall shape like a pretzel or bow to find a small nest of 60 eggs. The nest was moved to a safer spot in the dunes.
Thursday June 10 – Nest 26 & 27
Zone 4 walkers Carol Ann Hoffman, Nancy Kupersmith, Andrea Daley and Sue Alfiero-Bavasso called in a crawl 20 yards short of the bird nesting area. The mama left one egg on her out track about 20 feet from the body pit. Judy Morr and Leslie Gore responded, and Leslie found the rest of 153 eggs for Nest 26. The nest was successfully moved to a safer location.
Zone 3 walkers Karen Preston, Pixie Hider, and Lynne Madison called with a meandering crawl with 7 body pits between Boardwalks 2 and 3. Jane Magioncalda and Sandy MacCoss responded and found a wide, shallow Nest 27 containing 121 eggs which were moved to firmer ground back on the dune.
Friday June 11 – Nest 28 & 29
Walkers Jane Magioncalda and Sandy MacCoss on Zone 3 had an obvious false crawl between Boardwalk 5 and 6 but then had a promising crawl near Boardwalk 5. Bill Greubel responded and found Nest 28. The 105 eggs were moved further back.
Anna Wechter and Annaliese Dorante on Zone 4 also had both a nest and a false crawl. They first called in a crawl with two body pits. The Doanes responded and found Nest 29. The 110 eggs were moved back in the dune. 20 yards further down the beach was a less promising second crawl which was determined to be a false crawl
For more information about turtles and the Turtle Patrol, go to siturtlepatrol.com
-Submitted by Joshua Shilko
(Image credits: Turtle Patrol)