Seal study – Part 2

Seals are intriguing creatures. Looking at the way they look back at us, they probably find us quite interesting too. They are playful and expressive.

Seals are regarded as highly intelligent marine mammals. They are certainly fun to watch from a distance – guidelines suggest 150 feet. Not only can they bite, but they can pass on some infectious diseases to humans. They can suffer stress, or even abandon their young.

There are many stories written about seals. Selkie stories from Scottish and Irish folklore, are about creatures which are seal-like in appearance in the ocean, yet take on the human form on land.

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Seal study – Part I

I was fortunate to get quite close to an Atlantic grey seal and Common seal colony with my telephoto lens. Bulls live for 25 years, but cows live up to 35 years. It is important to keep your distance because they can move fast and bite. 

This seal had beautiful fur. Leopard-like.

Seals feed on a variety of fish and shellfish. The smell hangs in the air.

It is thought that seals bask in the sun to remove parasites from their skin.

A seal breeding area is called a rookery. 

Egyptian geese

Egyptian geese were introduced to the UK in the late 17th Century as an ornamental bird to adorn the lakes of country estates. They originate from sub-tropical Africa and the Ancient Egyptians considered them sacred. However, in their native homeland, they are regarded as a nuisance because they eat crops.

Until recently in the UK, these birds were quite rare and were mainly confined to a small area of Norfolk. The birds tend to breed in January, traditionally too cold for chicks to survive, but as temperatures have increased over the last 20 years, so too has the population of these birds and they are now found in different parts of the UK.

A carpet of snowdrops …

The snowdrops were out in force! Galanthus nivalis is one species which self-seeds and spreads quickly. Bees use snowdrops for nectar when not many other plants are flowering.

Winter flowers

Winter blooming camellia.

A red witch hazel.

Edgeworthia chrysanthemums “Grandiflora’ – originates from the Himalayas.

Red witch hazel abstract.