With a few minor edits, Gary McGraw reports…
He took the ‘red eye’ from the West Coast Monday and walked the full beach on Tuesday.
1. Hurricane Fay did extensive damage, including contributing another 20 feet of [Gary’s] boardwalk to the sea and knocking out [Gary’s] phone/computer system. Most dune erosion is south of Osprey Walk.
Over the last 18 months to two years, Dewees has had extensive beach erosion, especially in the middle of the island. If storms take another 50-100 ft of Gary’s boardwalk, it will be back where it was 7 years ago when we added to it due to sand accretion.
2. Nest # 10 hatched. There was a caved-in hole with zillions of turtle tracks still visible. This nest was way, way back in the second dune line. Unfortunately, many of the little fellers crawled up over the run way and may have wandered about in the dunes. Next time we need to build the run way with no inner ramp.
3. Gary’s found turtle debris washed up in the wrack well south of Brucie’s. Orange stake marked 9 with hatch dates; orange turtle sign marked Jill # 1 5/21; and orange stake marked OR N5 from original nest 5 location; as well as Ancient Dunes walkway sign.
4. Gary found eight nests, but could not tell what was what. In the mad scramble to save nests, there was not time to mark them. Esther has gps’ed the new nests and Lee & Gary are meeting to sort them out.
5. The nests are as follows starting from the north end:
A. #17 mostly OK ?
B. #16 ?
C. #11
D. #16 and #8 on the posts
E. #15
F. #14 and #7 on the posts
G. #18 moved with 56 eggs ?
H. #13
6. The nest from the dying female marked TN NC was washed away.