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Highlight of the month was a visit to the Grey Seal calving beach at Donna Nook in Lincolnshire.
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Grey seal pup (Halichoerus grypus)
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| The pups are born in laguno (a thick white foetal coat) which they retain for 2-3 weeks. |
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Grey seal pup (Halichoerus grypus)
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| They grow very fast, gaining weight at a rate of about 2kg per day, sustained entirely on a diet of the richest milk of all mammals. Grey seal milk contains 53% fat, with 67% solids, and resultantly has the consistency of thick, melted ice-cream. By comparison, human and cow's milk contains on average only 4.2% and 3.6% fat respectively. |
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Grey seal pup suckling
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Grey seal pup (Halichoerus grypus)
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pregnant female Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus)
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The females give birth throughout November and there were still several heavily pregnant females present when I visited in mid-November.
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pregnant female Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus)
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| The larger males are also present on the beach, biding their time for the females to become receptive. |
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bull Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus)
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| Mating occurs immediately after the pups are weened (3-4 weeks old). |
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bull Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus)
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| You don't need a massive lens to get photos of the seals here. They are very close to the path. |
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Donna Nook, Lincolnshire
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