26th of November: Boardwalkers won't be bored walkers

Today we were visited by Zoe Frank from the Yorkshire Coast, where there is a small Grey Seal colony at Ravenscar, which she manages. She had come to see how we monitor the seals at Blakeney during the pupping season and so we undertook a count together.

There are now several moulting pups...

With the prime pupping areas on the beach fully occupied, some seals have moved into the dunes to give birth. Whilst we try to fence off as much of the colony as possible, we ask walkers to be aware that seals don't respect our fence-lines. This morning, there was a birth on the boardwalk, so we urge visitors to give mother and pup a wide berth.

The mothers are protective and become distressed if people go too close to their pups or linger nearby. Please remember seals are also dangerous and have sharp teeth. We would like to thank visitors for their understanding and cooperation.

Today's count totalled an impressive 1,553 pups.

It's not just seal pups that we have a good number of. This week we counted 54 Grey Partridges in the dunes. It is encouraging to see this bird species, which has declined dramatically in recent times, doing well on Blakeney Point.

- Ajay, Ranger

23rd of November: Pup count exceeds 1,000

Today's pup count exceeded a thousand, with a grand total of 1,191 pups counted on Blakeney Point.

All is looking very healthy in the colony, which has now filled most of our fenced restricted area.

Please respect the fences and on-site signs if visiting, and look out for our wonderful volunteers who will be on site at weekends.

Young pup (Ajay Tegala)

On Monday, a lone pup was found under a boat in the car park at Morston. It had probably washed up there in the big tides over the weekend...

Hobgoblin (Kirsty Dickson)

We picked the poor pup up and took it to the excellent RSPCA East Winch wildlife hospital where it is now in good hands - and has been named Hobgoblin by our volunteer Sabrina.

- Ajay (Ranger)

16th of November: Pup numbers rising

It has now been eighteen days since the first Grey Seal pup of the season was born on Blakeney Point.


Today's count revealed a total of 579 pups.

Young pup

All of our pup tours have sold out, so we have added another one at 12:00 on Wednesday 23rd November. Follow this link to book tickets.

Pup suckling

Photos by Ajay Tegala, Ranger

2nd of November: First seal pups

On Monday (31st Oct), whilst putting the final touches to the seasonal Grey Seal fencing on Blakeney Point, when pup number one was spotted. A day earlier than the first of 2015, the pup looked healthy with mother close by. Volunteer Seal Ranger, Sabrina, took these photographs from a safe distance...

We will keep you updated with pup counts throughout the next two months. It is an exciting time for us, and we love sharing the news as the breeding season unfolds.

Please do head over to our web-site for more Grey Seal information and a guide to responsible viewing.

Ajay,
Ranger