Back Bay Nest #2 no success
Written by: Lauren Billodeaux Mowbray, Supervisory Wildlife Biologist, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Back Bay Nest #2: was not successful. We had 4 nights of nest sitting and no hatching activity was seen. We were planning to go into the nest this week to see how the development of the nest went but unfortunately the storm washed the posts, cage and nest away. Due to earlier wash overs it was a low chance of any success.
There is still one more nest on Back Bay, the Green Sea turtle. I’m expecting that nest to hatch early to mid October. We will have nest sitting depending on the temperatures. I’ll keep everyone posted.
Hurricane Erin Update
Written by: Lauren Billodeaux Mowbray, Supervisory Wildlife Biologist, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
After the strong weather we had in August I’d like to update you all on our nests. The hurricane went off shore which is great for the mainland but unfortunately the tides and strong seas pounded our beaches. Here is the status of our nests…
Back Bay Nest #2: This is a loggerhead nest on the North Mile near Little Island City Park that was laid on July 8th. The tides did wash over this nest for multiple days and the cage over this nest is gone. However, the poles are still there and the sensor is still in the nest. The sensor prediction is for this nest to hatch between September 4 and September 8. We have left this nest and we will see if some of the nest hatches. We will offer nest sitters an opportunity to sit at this nest.
Back Bay #3: This is a green sea turtle nest that is halfway down the North Mile. The waves lapped up to the edge of the nest and did wash away some of the sand covering a corner of the nest but mostly this was left undisturbed. We still expect hatching for this nest in early October.
Back Bay #4: This nest was a Loggerhead nest laid on our South Beach on August 8th. The erosion on this section of the beach was enough to wash away the cage, poles and the sensor. We suspect the whole nest is gone based on the erosion seen.
Back Bay Nest #1 hatchlings
Written by: Lauren Billodeaux Mowbray, Supervisory Wildlife Biologist, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Last Wednesday evening a funnel formed at the top of the nest and by Friday AM a full bowl was visible. The nest had been washed over so it was difficult to tell how many hatchlings had emerged. Just a handful more emerged on Friday night. So Monday, August 11, 2025, morning at 9 AM we excavated the nest. We found 109 hatched eggs but 40 of the hatchlings were still in the nest. We also found 2 pipped eggs who emerged while we were at the nest and we had 2 pipped live hatchings still in their eggs. Three eggs had been predated, two were pipped and not alive, 2 embryos died in early stage of development and 13 eggs were infertile. After the excavation we put the 42 live hatchlings and 2 pipped eggs back in the nest to emerge on their own.
Turtle nesting season 2025
Posted: September 4, 2025 by Back Bay NWR Society
Back Bay Nest #2 no success
Written by: Lauren Billodeaux Mowbray, Supervisory Wildlife Biologist, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Back Bay Nest #2: was not successful. We had 4 nights of nest sitting and no hatching activity was seen. We were planning to go into the nest this week to see how the development of the nest went but unfortunately the storm washed the posts, cage and nest away. Due to earlier wash overs it was a low chance of any success.
There is still one more nest on Back Bay, the Green Sea turtle. I’m expecting that nest to hatch early to mid October. We will have nest sitting depending on the temperatures. I’ll keep everyone posted.
Hurricane Erin Update
Written by: Lauren Billodeaux Mowbray, Supervisory Wildlife Biologist, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
After the strong weather we had in August I’d like to update you all on our nests. The hurricane went off shore which is great for the mainland but unfortunately the tides and strong seas pounded our beaches. Here is the status of our nests…
Back Bay Nest #2: This is a loggerhead nest on the North Mile near Little Island City Park that was laid on July 8th. The tides did wash over this nest for multiple days and the cage over this nest is gone. However, the poles are still there and the sensor is still in the nest. The sensor prediction is for this nest to hatch between September 4 and September 8. We have left this nest and we will see if some of the nest hatches. We will offer nest sitters an opportunity to sit at this nest.
Back Bay #3: This is a green sea turtle nest that is halfway down the North Mile. The waves lapped up to the edge of the nest and did wash away some of the sand covering a corner of the nest but mostly this was left undisturbed. We still expect hatching for this nest in early October.
Back Bay #4: This nest was a Loggerhead nest laid on our South Beach on August 8th. The erosion on this section of the beach was enough to wash away the cage, poles and the sensor. We suspect the whole nest is gone based on the erosion seen.
Back Bay Nest #1 hatchlings
Written by: Lauren Billodeaux Mowbray, Supervisory Wildlife Biologist, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Last Wednesday evening a funnel formed at the top of the nest and by Friday AM a full bowl was visible. The nest had been washed over so it was difficult to tell how many hatchlings had emerged. Just a handful more emerged on Friday night. So Monday, August 11, 2025, morning at 9 AM we excavated the nest. We found 109 hatched eggs but 40 of the hatchlings were still in the nest. We also found 2 pipped eggs who emerged while we were at the nest and we had 2 pipped live hatchings still in their eggs. Three eggs had been predated, two were pipped and not alive, 2 embryos died in early stage of development and 13 eggs were infertile. After the excavation we put the 42 live hatchlings and 2 pipped eggs back in the nest to emerge on their own.
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