26th of January: Sweet Sixteen

We are very happy to report that Grey Seal pup number 2,700 of the winter is doing well. It was born on 10th January, meaning it is now 16 days old; just 3-5 days away from being weaned.

Adorable footage of the pup - taken on the day it was born - appeared in this recent BBC online video.

Despite being the last cow to pup on Blakeney Point, the mother has stayed with her pup, which looks healthy.

Pup #2700 at 16 days old (Ajay Tegala)

We were also pleased to notice, today, that the cow is accompanied by a bull, which means she should be able to mate ready for next season. A happy end to a brilliant breeding season!

19th of January: Oh buoy

Following the dispersal of most of the Grey Seals on Blakeney Point, this week we were finally able to help Blakeney Harbour Association retrieve the navigation buoy that washed up towards the end of last year during stormy weather.

One of the few remaining weaned seal pups

Buoy on the beach

Weighing 1.5 tonnes, this was no mean feat. The front loader on the National Trust tractor did the lifting and we were able to return it to Morston in our largest trailer.

Securing the buoy in the trailer

Trinity House will return the buoy to its location at the entrance to Blakeney Harbour from the North Sea (and strengthen its mooring), where it directs vessels around the Hjodis wreck. The sands have moved dramatically around the wreck over the past two years.

Photos by Ajay Tegala

10th of January: Final count

We are delighted to announce that our final Grey Seal pup count for Blakeney Point in the 2017/18 season is 2,700 pups. This is a 12% increase on last season, and the largest increase in three years.

(click graph to enlarge)

This makes it another record year for pup births, with 243 pups more than the previous record season (in 2014/15). As usual, mortality was low, with just 2.5% of pups not making it to the weaning stage.

Snoozing pup (Ian Ward)

Considering this was the greatest number of pups to ever be born on Blakeney Point in a season, we were pleased to only have to rescue one pup. In December, we rescued a newly weaned juvenile that had a nasty head wound. It has been doing well under the RSPCA's care at East Winch, where it has been named Naga.

Big Bull (Ian Ward)

Cow in profile (Ian Ward)

The protective fences will remain up until 25th January to protect the later-born pups that are still reliant on their mother's milk to grow healthy and strong like the 2,000+ that have already been successfully weaned and dispersed into the North Sea. We ask that you please continue to respect these access restrictions. There are currently 199 pups and 59 adults on site.

View from end of boardwalk in December (Ian Ward)

Seal pup distribution 2017/18 (click to enlarge)

As we reach the end of the Grey Seal pupping season, our work focus turns to practical habitat management work elsewhere on the reserve. This includes ditch clearance and reed cutting on the freshwater grazing marshes. We are also commencing our preparation work for the breeding bird season, which will soon be approaching.

Ajay Tegala,
Ranger