Preparing for Hatchlings, Finding the Witch Shack

We hit the beach a bit late today, needing a little extra sleep after such a long day yesterday.  We almost stayed up even later last night to view the fireworks over Savannah, but decided against it.  I'm very tired, and will just give you today's highlights and get into bed.

I had three new nests today, two on Bradley Beach, and one on North Middle.  Kate had zero crawls.  Two of my nests needed to be relocated.  We've been told the clutch counts will start to drop away from the average of 115 as the nesting season ends.  The two I counted today had 95, and 133 - still pretty good, and hopefully an indication that we'll still be getting new nests for some time.

An important milestone was reached today.  The small screening on our very first nest, NB1, was removed.  The nest has been incubating for 51 days now and is getting ready to hatch.  The large screen will stay in place, as the hatchlings can pass through it. We'll be monitoring the nest each day, looking for a small depression in the sand over the nest cavity.  The eggs will hatch, and the air pocket inside the nest cavity collapses forming the depression.  Then the hatchlings will wait inside for the right moment at night, then climb out and run to the water.

The other significant event from today was the locating of Mrs. West's Buckhead House.  It's a small one room house hidden in the woods with a view of the marsh.  It was erected in two days by her caretaker Roger Parker for her 60th birthday, back in 1973.  She visits it each year on her birthday (though she has missed some recently due to her health).  Inside are some of her treasures, and a book in which she and others who visit the place write.  Mrs. West is an ordained witch, and she uses the house to make potions and casts spells.  There is large ceramic jar where some spells were written and placed inside.  Among her treasures was a large champagne bottle collection, including several Dom Perignon bottles, one I saw from 1963.  There is a bed, a wood stove, dishes, silverware, oil lamps, and chairs.  Her knick-knacks included oddly shaped driftwood, bones and skulls, wax figures, bottles, shells, and other strange trinkets.  The most interesting part of it all was the book of messages.  To read her thoughts, in her own handwriting, as she recorded them over the last 37 years was a real treat.  Many of them were concerned with the health of the island and its animals, and her frustration with the state of Georgia's management of it all.

After our adventure we had a little work to do cutting up material and assembling even more turtle screens.  It seems just when we think we'll have enough, we run low again.  I suppose it's a good thing - 161 nests as of today!