Kudos to Lesley and Tony Gore for setting up their outdoor camera night after night on likely nests in an attempt to capture a boil. It took several weeks but finally paid off on August 6. It is important to note that they used the camera in night vision mode so no external lighting was used. We also have to thank Judy Morr who edited the final version and added the music.
To view the hatchling boil video click here.
Another wild nest, Nest 79, was found last Friday, August 12! Marnie Ellis and J-Anna Smith found hatchling tracks near the bird sanctuary that looped around and meandered for at least half a mile before actually entering the water. This was the only nest found in the last week so, obviously, our turtle patrol duties have shifted to nest and beach maintenance as well as inventories. Nests 51 and 52 boiled on another section of the beach. It is interesting to see how the tracks blend into the wet sand. If you look at the beach from the ocean side, it is hard to see anything but if you look facing the water, the tracks are clear enough.
Lots of tracks and hatchlings on Saturday, August 13. Of special interest is nest 52 near Camp Saint Christopher -his nest was protected by a cage, a sensor, and a backboard. A resolute raccoon pushed down on top of the cage to dig into the nest but fortunately did not have much success. Raccoons are irksome and inventive little predators but we do what we can.
More hatchlings emerged on Sunday, August 14, and Diane Woychick took a beautiful sunrise photo that shows the hatchling tracks beautifully
A lone hatchling of unknown origin was found in the area of the bird sanctuary on Tuesday, August 16. The little fellow was guided to the water.
The dedicated walkers of Seabrook Island Turtle Patrol (SITP) are out early every morning. Sometimes we even get dressed in the dark to avoid disturbing our loved ones. This became obvious last Wednesday, August 17, when yours truly ended up on the beach with shoes that didn’t match. After much merriment and Judy Morr captured the moment for posterity, we continued with the walk.
-Submitted by Anne Snelgrove for SI Turtle Patrol