Hi there, we will go to see the Seal Colony this week end in the Lincolnshire and we still have 2 Train tickets left leaving Saturday Morning 8.10 from Kings Cross London to Lincoln (14.50 ?), where we have already some minivans arranged from Lincoln station to Donna Nook (10 ?) .
Some of us will came back the same days some others will stay in a B&B in Lincoln for a full Lincolnshire autumnal/winter experience, up to you to join or not! 😉
For much of the year grey seals at the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trusts’ Donna Nook National Nature Reserve are at sea or hauled out on distant sandbanks. Every November and December, the seals give birth to their pups near the sand dunes: a wildlife spectacle which attracts visitors from across the UK.
With over 1300 pups born annually and tens of thousands of visitors, management is required and this is achieved thanks to the fantastic support of a team of volunteer wardens and the staff of RAF Donna Nook.
Here some more info about Donna Nook from Wikipedia:
Donna Nook is a bombing range on the coast of Lincolnshire, England, north of the village of North Somercotes. The area is salt marsh, and is used by the numerous Royal Air Force bases in Lincolnshire for bombing practice; known as RAF Donna Nook. The resident wildlife fare surprisingly well, and seem to have become accustomed to aircraft bombing near them on a regular basis.
One particular group is the Grey Seal population, which is visited by around 43,000 people a year (2006), and the seals return to breed during October to December every year. Media coverage of Donna Nook has led to this big increase in visitor numbers. The coastline is managed by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust as a nature reserve. In 2007, the seal colony had its best breeding season on record, with about 1,194 pups born from the 3,500 resident grey seal colony. A controversial double wooden fence has been erected in 2007 to try to stop people touching the new born pups. If the mother seal detects human or dog scent on its pup, it may be abandoned. [1].
The nature reserve is easily and freely accessible to the public, offering parking for ?1(on the overspill carpark) and local amenities, but no public toilets. (As of December 2008 there are some portaloos provided in the overspill car park near the far end of the viewing area). It is staffed by volunteer wardens with experience who offer information to anyone interested. A small gift shop is available in an on-site garden shed, and all money raised is immediately put back into the colony’s future protection of seals.
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