Wow, has it been a big month for the loggerhead sea turtles on the island! First, we have reached the 50 nest mark, and continue to find new crawls frequently. In addition to nests, we are up to 61 false crawls. The season has progressed enough for some of the nests to begin hatching! The first emergence occurred on the night of July 21. Since then we have had a total of 11 nests hatch and have seen evidence of many babies determinedly make their way to the sea. Unfortunately, some of the hatchlings did get confused by inshore lights, and succumbed to ghost crabs and raccoons. (Remember, lights out for sea turtles!) Some of our overnight guests have delighted in the chance to experience the phenomenon of seeing the exciting and frantic journey from nest to ocean.

On July 30, Sydney came across something that we (luckily) rarely see on the island — a living, stranded loggerhead. The turtle was laboriously crawling about below the high tide line, and Sydney immediately saw the problem… a severe looking injury involving the face and head. The turtle had some epibiota, but was pretty healthy looking other than the recent looking injury. She quickly began to make phone calls, and luckily we reached our good friends at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) on Jekyll Island. The turtle crawled on its own onto the tarp we had brought to the beach, and staff and guests worked together to hoist the large turtle onto the waiting transportation. The GSTC folks met us and our patient at the Hampton River Club marina and whisked the patient to the turtle center. Before the turtle departed, Sydney gave it a name — Francis, after Fannie Kemble. So far, we have heard that Francis was beginning treatment in fresh water and seemed to be doing well. We will give regular updates as we get them!

The count is still increasing, and our total number of Loggerhead nests is now up to 38. There have been 45 false crawls. One interesting nesting emergence happened last Saturday. The female emerged from the ocean and onto Rainbow Beach, where she seemed to bump into the tugboat! Her tracks continued around the side of the tug, where she eventually made it past the wrackline to nest just at the base of the dunes. The dunes are fairly steep in that area, so the nest she dug was one that had to be relocated because of the placement near the tideline. What a night that turtle must have had!

Shorebirds that traveled north for the nesting season are beginning to slowly make their return to Little St. Simons Island. Beginning in early July, the beach has been slowly becoming more active with bird activity. We have seen several dozen Marbled Godwits, including the bird with transmitter number 84205, which was banded here in the fall. There was a Long-billed Curlew spotted on south Main Beach on June 30. Ruddy Turnstone, Semi-palmated Plover, Piping Plover, Black-bellied Plover, Willet, Whimbrel, and Dowitcher have also been seen in good numbers recently.

Reddish egret are found easily on the beach; they can be seen dancing in the tidal pools, surf, and new beach pond. Roseate Spoonbill have also been perusing these same sites. Wilson’s Plovers with their newly hatched chicks are all over the beach, so watch where you are stepping! American Oystercatcher nesting is winding down, but be on the lookout for vigilant parents protecting their young. Black Terns have been spotted fairly commonly around Middle Bar; immature and adults have both been present. Many terns, including Sandwich, Least, Royal, Caspian, and Gull-billed have all been at the beach recently, especially around Middle Bar. Some are still showing breeding plumage, but many have returned to their more drab winter plumages. The ever-present and popular Brown Pelicans are abundant; immature and adult birds can be spotted daily. Bald Eagle, Osprey, Turkey Vulture, and Black Vulture can also be readily seen on the beaches. Happy birding!

It’s been just over one month since her release from the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, and Simone seems to be sticking close to “home.” By tracking her on www.seaturtle.org, we can see that she has spent most of her time in the St. Simons Sound (just north of Jekyll Island) and the St. Andrew Sound (on Jekyll’s south end). She has also spent a lot of time just east of Jekyll, right in the Atlantic Ocean. Great job, Simone!

Wood Sage, also called American Germander, is in bloom across various locations of Little St. Simons Island including the north dike of Myrtle Pond and along Beach Road. The herb is in the mint family and has a square stem and lovely light purple or pink blooms arranged in a spike-like raceme. We have been harvesting the flower for table arrangements in the Lodge.

The scientific name of Wood Sage is Teucrium candense, named in honor of the first king of Troy, Teucer. He was said to have first used the plant for it’s medicinal properties. The plant is common and can be found in all of the continental United States.

There are now 26 loggerhead turtle nests and 34 false crawls for the 2009 season!