Route: Donna Nook
Area: Lincolnshire
Date of walk: 6th November 2017
Walkers: Andrew
Distance: 1.0 mile
Weather: Sunny, very cold
Donna Nook Nature Reserve is a superb place to watch and photograph wild grey seals, which are Britain’s largest carnivorous mammal. Every November and December the seals come up from the beaches to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes
Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust (which must be congratulated for the way in which it manages the reserve) has created a viewing area from where the seals can be watched from behind a fence. Over the years the seals have become accustomed to having camera lenses pointed at them and can be seen at close quarters
The female gives birth to a single pup, which grows very quickly on its mother’s rich milk, and within three weeks the pup is abandoned to fend for itself. The mother then goes on to mate with a bull and returns to sea. Her fertilised egg does not start developing until later, so that the birth will be at the same time the following year
It was fascinating to watch the behaviour of these wild animals at such close quarters, wallowing in the mud, suckling, competing for space and generally providing some great entertainment
I’ve been here twice before and today was another wonderful visit – although it was only a very short walk it gets my seal of approval (sorry, I couldn’t resist)
For other walks here, visit my Find Walks page and enter the name in the ‘Search site’ box
Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)
Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow
The Humber Bridge a couple of days ago
I’ll be crossing the bridge on my way to Donna Nook
Before setting off for Donna Nook I visited the former Holy Trinity Church Hull, which was re-dedicated as Hull Minster earlier this year
'A Hall for Hull' - a temporary art installation featuring 16 six-metre high steel columns
Much of the interior of the Minster is a building site as renovation works are carried out
Later that day, a unique road sign as I arrive at Donna Nook
Looking out across the nature reserve from the viewing area at the foot of the sand dunes
Grey seals have been breeding on the Lincolnshire coast since the early 1970's. For much of the year the seals are at sea or hauled out on distant sandbanks but during the winter they come to breed on the beaches of Lincolnshire
Grey seal, also called Atlantic seal...
As at 4th November, the count was bulls 199, cows 329, pups 152
One of many pups along the beach - at the end of last November the numbers of pups peaked at over 1,600
Pups are born with white coats and suckle from their mother for about 2 to 3 weeks
A hive of inactivity
Mother and child...
Looking out to sea
The viewing area is behind a fence, but many of the seals are only a few feet away, allowing for some extreme close ups....
Having reached the end of the viewing area I retrace my steps...
See you again next year
Sunset over the Humber Bridge on the way back from a wonderful visit
