For a tropical storm, Hermine sure did pack a punch for our remaining nests. Here’s the synopsis of the damage along with the sliver lining.
Before the storm:
- 34 nests were in the ground
- 7 of those nests had emergences (one actually during the storm)
- 3 of those nests had signs of a sink hole
- 4 of those nests (if not more) were really close to time frame relative to other nests already showing activity
Post Storm:
- 3 nests survived and remain in the ground (Nests #39, 42, 50).
So of the 34 nests, I like to think at least 14 nests got hatchlings out before or during the storm and 3 survived the storm. If I am right, this would mean at least half the nests going into the storm, survived with some success (we just can’t confirm with an excavation).
While it may have felt like a large loss, consider this. Before this year, our previous record of total nests was 26 (and two of those were duds, so really 24 successful nests). This year, before the storm we had 26 nests emerge with success! So we still have a record year for emergences and we still have 3 nests still in the ground. Oh! And that doesn’t count the 7 additional nests I really think probably sent hatchlings out during the storm but we just couldn’t document. So this year has still been our most successful year on record for emergences!
Below are the official results for our nests through the storm. Note, I really believe that most the nests up to Nest #34 (and possibly a few thereafter) may have snuck at least some hatchlings out during the storm. We just have no evidence of it as the nest site was washed out and could not be excavated after. The three remaining nests are listed in blue.
| Nest # | Town | Emergence | Days | Total Eggs |
Hatch Rate |
| Nest #01 | Duck – Sanderling #8 – Vireo Way | 1-Aug | 73 | 95 | 71% |
| Nest #02 | Nags Head – Bladen St. | 8-Aug | 69 | 70 | 91% |
| Nest #03 | Nags Head – Bladen St. | 12-Aug | 68 | 42 | 86% |
| Nest #04 | Nags Head – Glidden St. | None | No hatching | 134 | 0% |
| Nest #05 | Nags Head – Forest St. access | 10-Aug | 63 | 99 | 77% |
| Nest #06 | Corolla – Corolla Light access #4 | 13-Aug | 63 | 138 | 17% |
| Nest #07 | Corolla – Whalehead – Sailfish Dr. | 15-Aug | 64 | 122 | 94% |
| Nest #08 | Corolla – Whalehead – Mackeral St. | 12-Aug | 61 | 126 | 34% |
| Nest #09 | Southern Shores – Chicahauk Trail | 8-Aug | 56 | 96 | 97% |
| Nest #10 | Duck/Corolla Border | 10-Aug | 57 | 75 | 77% |
| Nest #11 | Carova – MP 23.4 | 13-Aug | 55 | 106 | 94% |
| Nest #12 | Kitty Hawk – Byrd St. | 14-Aug | 55 | 90 | 79% |
| Nest #13 | S. Nags Head – Seagull Ct. | 19-Aug | 59 | 75 | 93% |
| Nest #14 | Corolla – Pine Island – Cottage Cove | None | No hatching | 125 | 0% |
| Nest #15 | Nags Head – Sea Holly Ct. | 24-Aug | 59 | 143 | 90% |
| Nest #16 | Corolla – Spindrift/Ocean Sands A | 28-Aug | 61 | 104 | 43% |
| Nest #17 | Corolla – Currituck Beach Lighthouse | 2-Sep | 63 | no excavation – TS Hermine | |
| Nest #18 | Duck – Sandy Ridge | 22-Aug | 52 | 109 | 81% |
| Nest #19 | S. Nags Head – Proteus St. | 2-Sep | 61 | no excavation – TS Hermine | |
| Nest #20 | Carova – MP 17 | 25-Aug | 52 | 112 | 58% |
| Nest #21 | Corolla – Lighthouse Access | sink hole pre-storm | washed out – TS Hermine | ||
| Nest #22 | S. Nags Head – Limulus St. | 2-Sep | 54 | no excavation – TS Hermine | |
| Nest #23 | Corolla – Dolphin St. | washed out – TS Hermine | |||
| Nest #24 | Nags Head – Abalone St. | 1-Sep | 52 | no excavation – TS Hermine | |
| Nest #25 | Duck – Sanderling #8 – Vireo Way | 28-Aug | 47 | no excavation – TS Hermine | |
| Nest #26 | Duck – Norbanks | washed out – TS Hermine | |||
| Nest #27 | S. Nags Head – Seagull St. | washed out – TS Hermine | |||
| Nest #28 | Kitty Hawks – Hawk St. | 30-Aug | 49 | no excavation – TS Hermine | |
| Nest #29 | KDH – Raleigh St. | 2-Sep | 51 | no excavation – TS Hermine | |
| Nest #30 | Nags Head – Gull St. | washed out – TS Hermine | |||
| Nest #31 | Corolla – Pine Island – Access 7 | sink hole pre-storm | washed out – TS Hermine | ||
| Nest #32 | S. Nags Head – Juncos St. | hatchlings found near nest | washed out – TS Hermine | ||
| Nest #33 | Nags Head – Dune St. | 3-Sep | 50 | 90 | 91% |
| Nest #34 | Nags Head – Abalone St. | sink hole pre-storm | washed out – TS Hermine | ||
| Nest #35 | CNWR – MP 18.3 | washed out – TS Hermine | |||
| Nest #36 | Nags Head – Sand Spur Motel | washed out – TS Hermine | |||
| Nest #37 | Kitty Hawk – Hilton Garden | washed out – TS Hermine | |||
| Nest #38 | Carova – MP 21.3 | washed out – TS Hermine | |||
| Nest #39 | Southern Shores | ||||
| Nest #40 | Corolla – Whalehead – Bonita | washed out – TS Hermine | |||
| Nest #41 | Nags Head – Gray Ealgle | 1-Aug | unk. | 131 | 95% |
| Nest #42 | Nags Head | ||||
| Nest #43 | S. Nags Head – Surfside Dr. | washed out – TS Hermine | |||
| Nest #44 | Southern Shores – 11th Ave. | washed out – TS Hermine | |||
| Nest #45 | Kill Devil Hills – 5th St. | washed out – TS Hermine | |||
| Nest #46 | Kitty Hawk – Tateway | washed out – TS Hermine | |||
| Nest #47 | S. Nags Head – Proteus St. | washed out – TS Hermine | |||
| Nest #48 | Duck – Schooner Ridge | washed out – TS Hermine | |||
| Nest #49 | Nags Head – 3815 S. VA Dare Tr. | washed out – TS Hermine | |||
| Nest #50 | Kitty Hawk | ||||
| Nest #51 | KDH – Raleigh St. | 25-Aug | unk. | ||