Sunday, 25 November 2018

There are a good selection of seal pups on Petticowick now, 13 counted today, with the oldest being about 3 weeks old, and the youngest we saw being born at around 1pm this afternoon! The oldest pup on the beach, pictured below, is about 3 weeks old, which means that they are about to be abandoned their mother, who will return to the sea to eat after 3 weeks of not feeding herself. This mother certainly seems to have been successful in feeding her pup given how fat they are looking! Apart from their impressive girth, you can tell that this is an older pup because they are starting to moult their white baby fur, with the waterproof grey fur starting to show around their face. The mother of this pup was also seen mating with the resident beach master of Petticowick, another sign that she will return to sea soon. Lizy

Grey Seal mother and large pup beginning to moult


Grey seals mating on beach

Saturday, 24 November 2018

We've had a lovely day watching seals and talking to visitors today at Petticowick. There are 10 pups currently on the beach, and from the vantage point of the cliff above we can get good views with binoculars and telescopes without disturbing the seals. Lizy


National Trust for Scotland Rangers and volunteers watching seals with visitors

Grey Seal mother and pup on Petticowick beach