Nest checks

I decided to drop by Nest 7111 this evening and see how it was doing after the storm. We're so hopeful some hatchlings will still emerge even though the water swept over the nest during Hurricane Gustav.

Poor little creatures surely had more than enough stress from the last storm. But wait! It looks as though someone crossed over the roping and has been standing on the nest!


Surely not! It's clearly marked.


Oh no! And look who else is scavenging around the nest. There's a large ghost crab hole! I listened carefully, but heard no sounds of digging beneath the surface. Then I gently dug down into his hole, trying to find the culprit and send him on his way.

No luck. I was all the way up to my shoulder in sand before giving up and filling the hole back in. {{{sigh}}} Hopefully he was long gone. I've found digging for ghost crabs is my least favorite job (if necessary) when screening or nest-sitting. When you finally get near them as you dig into their hole, they will jump out at you and go running off. Ugh!


But what beautiful rewards when you go out in the evening to set the screens or sit at a nest: lovely sunsets such as tonight.


And having the opportunity to watch the Blue Angels returning home on a Sunday evening --this time from a show at NAS in Brunswick, Maine. Welcome home, guys!