Meet Neptune

After a busy day in the garden, which involved me planting  a number of recent acquisitions, while Pete and Alex almost finished restoring two of the ponds, I had a quick trip down to Thorpe Meadows. 

Chris had ventured out there earlier (his first trip out for a few days, as he's been laid low with a rotten virus) and told me that the seal I saw on Thursday was hauled out on one of the wooden platforms used by the rowers. He was still there when I arrived and seemed to have very little fear of humans or even dogs. 

When I reviewed some of my images I realised he had an orange tag on his flipper. A short while later an RSPCA officer came down to check he was OK, following a phone call from a member of the public. We got chatting and I was able to let her have the number of the tag. She rang the East Winch RSPCA wildlife rehabilitation centre, who confirmed he was a seal that they had released in December, named Neptune. He's certainly looking very well fed (see extra) and happy, even if he is in the wrong place!

In the evening we went out to see Mark Steel at the Key Theatre - really excellent - just as funny and though provoking as on Radio 4 but with much fruitier language!