After two weeks the question of “WHERE ARE THE NESTS?” has finally been answered! Maybe the Nags Head “Dream Team” jinxed us by making a deal with the Mama Sea Turtle Association (MSTA) to score the first nest, or maybe this heat wave had the turtles afraid to lay foot on the hot sand! Whatever it was the curse has been broken because this Sunday one brave mama crawled up in KDH and laid the second nest of the season!
Jim Bailey of the KH/KDH ATV team found the nest bright and early on Sunday Morning. Word is that the Mama Sea Turtle Association (MSTA) wanted to make good use of the new and spiffy ATV donated by the many sea turtle lover contributors who made the new vehicle possible. Peg the overall ATV route coordinator was the first on the scene and Jim and Peggy awaited the rest of the nest response team with smiles on their faces as all arrived.
Jennette was next to arrive and all were honored by the arrival of Benji (of the Benji and the jets fame) who had his mom (KC our fearless leader who looks forward to those early morning phone calls) in tow looking alert in anticipation of his first sea turtle nest response. With the steady stream of the response team arriving digging for the DNA egg was begun.
Jan as always cool and calm announced that she was pretty sure the egg was found. Marissa collected the egg for DNA testing and the nest was marked off. Since this is the first sea turtle nest in KDH for some time and there had been a lull since nest 1 in NH it was great to know that the mama sea turtle association (MTSA) had not forgotten where the best beaches of the Outer Banks are. Before departing a group picture was taken of all the response team with two fingers in the air, but Benji (of the Benji and the Jets fame) held up just one finger instead of two because this was his FIRST nest. All left with smiles awaiting the next sea turtle nest adventure.
-JK/Dennis Pohl