Sea turtles and shorebirds nest across Rookery Bay For two years, avian biologists at Rookery Bay have observed a pair of American Oystercatchers attempting to nest in the reserve, a hopeful sign of recovery for the species. | Photos courtesy of Rookery Bay More than 15,000 baby sea turtles have emerged from nests monitored by Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve this year, marking a dramatic turnaround from a nesting season that got off to an unusually slow start.