Nests #5 (Leatherback) & - #6 - #7

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=210 BGCOLOR="#99CC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0418dfc3.jpg"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="177" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#669966" BORDERCOLORDARK="#33CC33" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 163 WIDTH="165"><div> <B>This was the busiest night of the season with three nests laied. Two Loggerheads and our first  Leatherback nest ever.  </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Leatherback turtles weigh up to 1300 lbs. and grow to be 6ft in length.   </B></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=82 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0428dfe1esnpes.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Art Studio B </B></FONT><B>     </B><B>|</B><B>     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Art Studio B "><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div>                                                   </div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=398 colspan=2 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0428dfc3.jpg"> <div> <I>Nests #5 (Leatherback) & - #6 - #7</I></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="550" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id132.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Turtles News 2009"><U>Turtles News 2009</U></A>                                                                         <A HREF="id136.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Nest 8 thru 11"><U>Nest #8 thru #11</U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></I></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="674" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#669966" BORDERCOLORDARK="#33CC33" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 279 WIDTH="662"><div> <B>July 8th.  </B><B>Nest </B><B>#</B><B>5. </B><B>  </B><B>The Leatherback</B><B>.</B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  This nest was found by  Police Officer Lefler at about 2:30 AM. He was puzzled by the way the huge tracks circled all around the beach, and by the handful of eggs left on the sand near the nest (both leatherback traits)  It was advised not to relocate ate the eggs, as they could be as deep as shoulder length, so the entire nest area was ropped off for observation. This nest will not be assigned a leader..this will be a group project for the entire PISTP and any other beaches & state agencies that will be involved.  This will be a once in a lifetime hatch for many of us.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> August 31st.  The night before last, 3 holes were dug in the nest by an animal whose tracks closely resembled a fox. The largest hole was dug just over where we believe the eggs to be. Luckily the eggs/babies were not disturbed.</div> <bR> <div> The excavation of the Leatherback went great, and with a record crowd in attendance, finding a live baby in the nest was such a treat!!! The final count was 71 hatched eggs, 16 unhatched, 1 semi-pipped undeveloped hatchling, and a stack of "spacer" eggs about the size of marbles (opening one of these revealed a clear gel inside-very interesting.)</div> <bR> <div> Check out:  Carolina Beach, NC Leatherback Sea Turtle Nest #5, 9.14.2009.    Link below</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zDWpyzIPWc " TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8z"><U>http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zDWpyzIPWc </U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="568" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#669966" BORDERCOLORDARK="#33CC33" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 173 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="500e1950.jpg" border=0 width="225" height="149" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Close up of eggs left on the sand.</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="502d0940.jpg" border=0 width="208" height="148" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Eggs left on the sand<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >.</FONT></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 207 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="504f5b80.jpg" border=0 width="245" height="184" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Latherback tracks</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="506f5b80.jpg" border=0 width="245" height="184" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Tracks being measured.  </div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="656" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#669933" BORDERCOLORDARK="#33CC00" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 443 WIDTH="644"><div> <B>July 8th.</B><B>  Nest #6.</B>  Officer Laffer continued his patrol and came across a Loggerhead nesting on the beach.  Pleasure Island Sea Turtle Cooridenator and the nest mom got to see this mama turtle finish up her nest. The clutch of  93 eggs was moved to higher ground.  This turtle was wearing 2 tags, it will be interesting to find out a bit about her history.</div> <bR> <div> Sept, 4th.  Nest # 6 hatched just after dark with a nice boil of about 70 turtles...a great boil from this nest of 93. Due to the hard packed sand in this nest, there never was a depression.  These babies turtles literally had to push their way out of the sand.  After breaking through they were very energetic on their trip to the water! </div> <bR> <div> This nest will excavate Sept. 7th, Monday at 7:00 PM.</div> <bR> <div> **********************************************************************************************************</div> <div> <I>Below is a message we received about this tagged turtle.  </I></div> <bR> <div> We first saw/tagged her in 2002, when she laid 3 nests here on Bald Head Island. We hadn't seen her again until this year when she nested on June 25th at 2AM. What makes this even more special is this turtle nested the morning after one of our beloved island residents and turtle nest monitors/volunteers for 25 years passed away. It seemed a sign that morning when I was out there watching that turtle nest, especially since we'd gone 5 nights without a nest! We have named that turtle Ann, in honor of this amazing woman who cared so deeply about all </div> <div> animals, but especially the sea turtles! I am providing her son with updates on this turtle and all the nests that we hope she'll continue to lay on BHI in the years to come. </div> <bR> <div> Thanks so much! </div> <bR> <div> Maureen Dewire </div> <div> Director of Education/Senior Naturalist </div> <div> BHI Conservancy</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="644"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="644" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 132 WIDTH="644"><div> <B>July 8th.  </B><B>Nest #7</B><B>.</B>  This nest was found by morning patrollers Richard and Barbara. this nest was  moved by the PISTP Coordinator, the patrollers along with the nest mons moved 132 eggs to higher ground.<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT></div> <bR> <div> Sept 2nd.  Nest #7 hatched just after 10 PM, a nice slow steady boil of approximately 114 turtles came out.  With less than 20 eggs remaining in the nest, nest mom Sharon will be keeping an eye out for stragglers, but this was an excellent hatch. </div> <bR> <div> Excavation took place on Sept. 5th., the 7 live babies were a crowd pleaser</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="592" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 30 WIDTH="586"><div> <I><B>Note: All artwork featured on this site is copyrighted </B></I><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#800080" FACE="Helvetica" ><I>©</I></FONT><I><B> by </B></I></div> <div> <I><B>Barbara E. Allinson unless otherwise noted.</B></I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 95 WIDTH="586"><div> <I> <script language=JavaScript>  </script>         </I><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="id135_m.htm" TITLE="Nests 5 (Leatherback) 6 7"><U><IMG SRC="13d44440.png" border=0 width="68" height="68" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><U>Top</U></FONT></div> <bR> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>