Nest A-#32 July 23rd, 2008

Hey Everybody,
Today Ann and Chuck rode with our great driver Molly and they found Nest #32!! The track width was 35" and they did move the nest with 88 eggs found! Chuck found the eggs, so we give him an " Atta Boy! award". Way to go Chuck!
We are hearing some real promising sounds on A-1 and it seem that Dolly (Dang that Dolly) didn't do to much damage to some of the other nests that were closer to the water. Time will tell but so far so good!

Guess what!
Tom Spangrud found B-10 this morning (7/24) at 6:15 precisely! He and Linda decided to split the walk this morning because the weather looked "iffy". Congrats Tom & Linda, I know you have waited a long time for this.
In all likelihood we probably wouldn't have moved this nest except for the fact that the high water mark from Dolly was still evident. The mother turt did a great job, her 40" inch track showed that she nicked an old hulk of a canopy and kept right on trucking, hid her eggs then went right back out most efficiently leaving a nice V patterned crawl. Of course, a 40" crawl width indicates some experience on her part. Howard, myself, Jerry, Ken and Jan and Jim and Margaret came out to assist Tom & Linda. Oh yes, and Howard nailed the egg location. Thanks everyone!

Nest A-#33 July 24, 2008
Hey Everybody,
Today, Jim and Sharon R rode with Claudia and they found a nest and two false crawls. The first false crawl was close to the kemps nest and it had a 30" track width.
The nest was east of nest #11. 3 seems to be the magic number because this was nest #33 with a track width of 33'' and 3 eggs were on top of the nest and were destroyed by a ghost crab. The eggs were 14' from the top and the nest was laid on the new wrackline which was really high due to Dolly (dang that Dolly) so the nest was not moved. Claudia found the eggs (she getting really good at that). Way to go team!!! Fantastic Job!!!
The last false crawl was about 10 to 20 yards west of laguna Key, so watch out Laguna Key! The crawl width was 34". Again we have three different track width so we must have had three different Momma turtles. Congratulations to the team, woowhooo!!!!

Nest A-#34 July 25th


Hey Everybody,
Today we had Jean and Cindy ride patrol with Molly and they found Nest #34!!! Wooowhoooo! It was just east of the board walk at Mobile Street. The crawl width was 32" and Momma Turtle laid the nest 53' from the wrackline so the egg (which were found by Jean) were not moved.

Good Morning!

George found nest #4 early today! It was laid in front of nest #3 .
George also found the eggs (106) a ghost crab had gotten #107.
Rob will send out stats and pics later. GOOD JOB , GEORGE!!

Cindy heard "washing machine" sounds at nest #1 this morning.We will monitor thru the day.

Patty & Rob will patrol tomorrow.
Enjoy The day,

A-2 hatches July 29th
Nest #38 July 30th

Hey Everybody,
Another crazy night on Fort Morgan! After leaving A-5 with no sound we went to check on A-2. Listening we could hear loud waterfall sound and around 8:15 p.m. the first little head emerged! This scout went down the tarp and to the water like there was no tomorrow. After A-5's very slow trip to the water I thought this is perfect! Well I was WRONG! again. When the boil started (we counted 65 beautiful babies to the water) it looked promising but then they started turning every which way but to the water. Slowly they went out of the tarp and into the trench. There was a storm coming and I sure was hoping for the best. Well, the bottom fell out and we were drowned (Thankfully no lightning)! We all looked like drowned rats and Jean's new hairdo is another story. Since they were getting to the water just fine we decided to let them make it on their own but the few visitors that came up and Tom (a reporter from Huntville that was there to see his first hatching ) were brave souls and stayed (way after midnight )until the last baby was safely to the water. Thanks to them we got the trench dug and the babies all made it safely to the water!!! Special thanks to Roxie who stay with this nest every night and thank goodness she was there to see the hatching. Thanks to Bennis, Alice, Mckenize, Jean, Molly, and Becca (her first hatching). Hopefully, tonight we will get the rest of the babies to the water! There were a 135 eggs in this nest so maybe another boil tonight!
Today, Tom (the Reporter) rode with Molly on patrol and they found us a nest at 5788 Beach Blvd. The track width was 36'' and Momma Turtle laid the nest 25' from the wrack line so they moved the nest. This was Tom's first ride and his first nest. Talk about luck!! He also found the eggs in the first hole he dug in!! 69 eggs were moved. Congratulations!! I can't wait to read his story!
Weather permitting we will excavate A-5 tonight at 6:30 p.m. So everybody keep on spreading the mojo and turtle dancing!!!!

Thank you all for blogging. I was down there last summer and was fortunate enough to be there during a boil.

I love reading these blogs... it makes me want to come down and stay period...

You all might not remember me because it was night time :o)

I am the woman visiting from Nashville. please feel free to e-mail me and just say "hi"...

God bless you all for being so dedicated to the sea turtles!

patti jo

From Laguna Key Team, thank you Patti Jo!
Working for the turtles is extremely rewarding. I am especially grateful this year to have new team members who did just that, came down and stayed. period! This seems like a perfect time to thank them- thanks Tom & Linda, Priscilla & Tom, Jim and Kathy, Jim and Margaret, Bill & Rachelle, Jan & Ken. While I am at it, thanks goes out to our steadfast members who walk the miles and wait out the hours, Barney & Maxine, Adrian & Becky, Marci, Stephanie, Kate, Bill, Rick, Howard, Donna & Dennis, Pompano Jerry, Rhonda, Anne, Homer, Cindy, you are all appreciated so much!
I am on a roll here, thanks goes out to all of you who have "adopted nests" and just everyone for spreading the interest and education. We love the summer folks who return to help out each summer.

To all the people working on saving the turtles... You are the best!
I was an intern in 2002 "Turtle Girl," and fell in love with those cute little turtles. It makes me so happy to read that the work continues. Keep it up, you all do an incredible service!
Carol W.

Thanks "Turtle Girl"! Y'all can also check out Laguna Key Team's progress on my BLOG, http://seastarscottage.blogspot.com/
So far our first nest has hatched with 103 making it to water safely. 9 to go for our team! We are down by half from last years nest count but Fort Morgan is more than making up for that! Whoooohooo!

Fort Morgan Nest #43 August 6th

Hey everybody,
We have nest #43 found by Becca, and she was a busy little.....turtle nest finder! With the polaris still in the shop,(sounds better than broke down) Becca was on her own. But she still found us a nest just west of Pontoon Lane. Directly in front of A-26. The crawl width was 33" with no obstruction in the way. The nest was laid 48' from the wrack line so the nest was not moved. Top of the clutch was 10".

Fort Morgan Nest #44 August 7
False crawl #37

Hey everybody,
Today Claudia was our busy little..... Worker and nest finder!! along with dropping off the tarps, she also found us a nest and a false crawl.
The nest was 100 yds. west of A-11. The crawl width was 32" and the top of the clutch was 15" deep. The nest was laid about 3' from Dolly's wrackline so the nest was not moved.
Then Claudia found a false crawl within eyesight of A-8 which is in Morgantown. The crawl width was 35" and she just made a loop and back to the water she went, so maybe tomorrow!
Thanks Claudia, for dropping off the tarp and found us a nest to boot! wooooowhooooo!!!

Hi... we vacation in Fort Morgan at the Beach Club every year and are wondering what will happen to the nest in front of the Beach Club if Gustav comes through? Do volunteers try to move those somehow to safeguard them?