A Second Visit to Donna Nook to Photograph the Seals.

I am now the proud possessor of all Fuji equipment having part exchanged my canon gear through Wex who provided a fantastic service.  I was therefore keen to get out and play so decided to go back for another go at the seals.  It was perfect conditions: bright with a mix of sun and overcast.  I had hoped for some fighting for dominance among the bulls, but all was relatively calm.  I was interested to spot the young herring gull feasting on the carcass of a pup that didn't make it and a little egret and several pied wagtails cooperated on the photography front.  The pied wagtails all had a creamy white rather than a clean white chin and cheeks; I have read that some do but I have not consciously noted this before.  There was one completely black pup present and it would seem that 1 in 400 turn black after their first moult.
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The Annual Visit to the Seals at Donna Nook on the Lincolnshire Coast.

Despite having only just returned from Seville, I decided to pay a visit to Donna Nook to see the seals while the weather was still sunny.  As it was I nearly left it until too late in the day and the light went shortly after I arrived.  Nonetheless it was a good visit and, as always, I thrilled to the haunting, wild, sounds of the seal colony as I walked over the dunes from the overflow car park.  As well as the seals there was a large flock of brent geese out on the marsh and flocks of lapwing tumbled and wheeled overhead.  Across the estuary, Spurn Lighthouse is encased in scaffolding as it undergoes a £47,000 restoration that will enable it to be opened to the public.  Near to hand were the seals of the dune colony and further out those of the beach colony.  So far this year 120 pups had been born on the day I visited (Thursday 12th November).

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Atlantic Grey Seals at Donna Nook, Linconshire Coast.

I made my annual trip to see the Atlantic grey seals at Donna Nook nature reserve on the Lincolnshire coast today.  Living so close it's an easy trip but it is to be recommended to anyone interested in wildlife; it is one the best wildlife spectacles this country has to offer.  Donna Nook is home to around 3000 grey seals and in November and December they come ashore onto the beach and dunes to pup and mate.  Around 1000 pups are born each year and this year the first one arrived on October 25th.  On 8th November there were 218 pups, 427 cows and 278 bulls. As well as the seals it was good to see large flocks of brent geese and impressive wader flocks feeding out on the beach and mudflats, every so often rising and whirling like smoke before settling back down to feed.

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