Numbers

As you've guessed, Steve and I are still monitoring a record nesting year.  We have celebrated several milestones this past month.  We quickly went from 100 to 200 nests.  Then last week, we flew by our 2010 total of 217.  We still continue to hold an easy lead, creeping higher and higher.  Today it is close to 60 nests, with a total of 268.  Another fun number is our total number of false crawls (when a turtle crawls up the beach but doesn't nest).  We're near 320, which is greater than the total number of nests plus false crawls for Cumberland Island.  Sorry Cumberland, can't help to boast, but you are our biggest competitor.  Soon we'll hit 300 nests and will have beaten the Ossabaw record of 298.  Steve and I just received what could be the last of the supplies, enough to screen 150 more nests.  If that becomes the case, we'll have over 400 nests!  We're now accepting applications for unpaid help, preferably with experience of sea turtle nest monitoring, vehicle and boat maintenance, home chores, cooking, working in adverse field conditions, over long hours, weekends and holidays....(just kidding but it would be nice).

Not Just SEA Turtle Nest Monitoring

On May 17th, Steve and I were saying good-bye to Adam, our boss's 2nd in command, at the dock.  As we we parked the truck, we noticed a diamondback terrapin laying a nest.  

Covering the nest.

Diamondback terrapins are the only turtle that lives in brackish water.  They inhabit coastal waters from New England to Texas.  The turtle suffered years of unregulated harvest for food in the 1800 to early 1900s and the species suffered for it.  Fortunately, despite habitat destruction, the diamondback terrapin has made a good recovery in most of their existing range.

We learned last year that the dirt parking lot is a popular nesting place for terrapins, however, the trucks and raccoons are too dangerous to their safety.  With Adam's tips, we relocated the nest.

Steve looking for the eggs.

First of seven eggs

Diamondback terrapin egg

A very familiar position.

The nest is being incubated in a cooler on our porch.  It should hatch in a similar time frame to the sea turtles, around 60 days.  We have a thermometer in the dirt, and guessing it is averaging mid to high 80s, the nest will most likely be female.  

According to several websites, we can raise the young for some time to increase their chances of survival.  Under our care, the hatchlings would grow much faster, and therefore be stronger at release.  Steve and I haven't yet decided on a plan since we're not set up for taking care of turtles.  Stay tuned!

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island has a conservation plan for diamondback terrapins that are impacted by the road that connects the mainland with the island.  To learn more about their efforts saving diamondback terrapins, visit their website.

Too Busy To Keep Up

Steve and I have been so busy that our general livelihood has been put on hold.  The sea turtles just keep coming.  We've had 49 nests in 5 days, plus 80 false crawls.  Our supplies have dwindled, our energy is lacking, and our food stores are nearly gone.  However, we have the willpower and enthusiasm to push on and see our record breaking year through!

I apologize for not writing more stories, but after we catch up on data entry, cut new screens, and paint new posts, we still have to do laundry and get to town!  Soon, I hope, to share more about the craziness that has consumed our lives.

Running in circles.

We're Killin' It.

As of today, Ossabaw has reached, and surpassed 100 nests.  Whew.  (Ossabaw is the only orange dot!)  To give you better reference for how great our numbers are, this day last year we had 39 nests, and that was a good year.

Image captured June 3rd, 2011.

On the 31st we had no new nests, and were afraid that the nesting boom had ended.  There have been years where the turtles nest like crazy in May only to dwindle.  Now, however, we are optimistic they will help Ossabaw reach a new record.  On the first, we had 9 nests, yesterday 9 nests, and today 8 nests.  We didn't experience anything close to this last year.

Ossabaw is still holding the lead with the most nests in the state, currently 22 more than the next highest island, Cumberland.  Something must be happening in the waters offshore to encourage their nesting here, and we like it.  Keep your fingers crossed they stay around.

Graphs captured June 3rd, 2011.

  

I Like Bones

As some of you know, I love to collect animal bones.  Both recent and fossil.  Last year I found several old sea turtle bones, bird bones, fish bones, and some unknown.  One find that tops the list is the alligator remains I stumbled upon in a dry water hole near Middle Place.  At first I only found the skin and claws of a foot.  Later I returned to find the skull (in several pieces) and bones.  I cleaned them up, pieced what I could together, and added it to the bookshelf of artifacts in our living room (it's like a small museum).  Well, so far this year trumps anything I could have thought of...


During a morning survey, I saw a foot of connected vertebrae sticking out of the sand.  I jumped off the ATV to retrieve it.  It didn't budge.  I grabbed the shovel and started removing sand.  It still wouldn't come free. Rather than delay my sea turtle work, I decided to return to it.  I radioed Steve, and by chance he was nearing the tidal creek that separated our beaches.  We agreed that he would come back with me.  After no nests were found, Steve and I got to work on the skeleton.  Soon it was free of the sand.

Since it's a marine mammal, likely a bottlenose dolphin, we took all the necessary information; somewhere on South Middle Beach and about as long as Steve (we did take measurements and coordinates).  Steve used his MacGyver skills and it was soon safe for transport.    

A couple screens, sea wrack, and cable ties.

Once we were home, I notified Clay, DNR's marine mammal biologist, of the stranding.  He later told me that it closely matches the remains of a stranding documented over the winter.  He also told me that the cranium had been salvaged.  I learned that I can register these bones with NOAA to legally keep them.  Hopefully they'll allow it.  More on that later...

A couple of days later Steve and I worked together.  While riding on the ATV, again on South Middle, Steve stopped to pick up a pink frisbee in the dry sand.  As I was sitting there, I noticed something white in the sand.  Steve picked it up and it was a dolphin cranium!  We looked around and found the maxillae (the bones that make the rostrum and hold the upper teeth).  The neck vertebrae are still attached.  

Looking down on top

I also found 7 small vertebrae scattered through the area.  Once home, I again reported this stranding to Clay.  It's likely an unknown event.  The cranium is packed and ready for retrieval by DNR.  I've since returned to the location and found more bones including a scapula and ribs.  Hopefully the next spring tide will uncover more!

Image borrowed from http://csweetr.tripod.com/dolphinfo.html

And we thought last year was busy...

The Welcome Tree

Steve and I arrived on Ossabaw May 9th.  Nearly every day since returning "home", the sea turtles have been hitting our beaches harder than ever in nesting history.  This is true for both Ossabaw and Georgia.  Overall, there are twice the number of nests as last year and four times as many as two years ago.  The best part of this, is that Ossabaw has more nests and overall activity than every other Georgia beach.  Take that, Cumberland!  Another bit of great news is that we have 3 of 7 leatherback nests in GA.  The first was spotted by our boss on an aerial survey April 19th, which means we'll enjoy an early emergence this summer.  All the great news isn't without loss.  We have already had four dead stranded sea turtles: 1 loggerhead boat strike, and 3 Kemp's ridleys with no obvious cause of death.  Numbers are also up across the state, but there isn't any leading cause of mortality.

Kate in leatherback crawl

Any guess where the nest is?

We are also enjoying the great success of our nesting shore birds.  The slough near South Middle is home to a nesting least tern colony.  We have four confirmed nests so far, and I started scouting out more possible nesting and courtship/breeding behavior today.  For those who read our blog last year might remember that the least terns were unsuccessful last summer.  I'm very optimistic that the established nests will hatch.  South Middle is also home to an American oystercatcher family with two adorable chicks.  They hatched out about a week ago and have been seen all around the beach with their parents.   Again, a nesting adult pair was unsuccessful last year so we're happy to see chicks!  This 1km stretch of sand is also home to countless Wilson's plover families.  We have to be so very careful when driving the ATV  because there are chicks everywhere!

American Oystercatcher chick

Of course there are so many stories to share so far, but right now we have to pack.  Steve and I are going to camp out and look for nesting turtles tonight!

Steve & Kate Take On Ossabaw: The Sequel

Steve and I weren't off the island long before we knew we had to return.  Well, no better time than the present.  In just a few short weeks, we'll be pulling away from the dock.  Stay tuned for another amazing summer...