Watching seals

It's the season for grey seal pups.  A couple of hours' drive away, on the Lincolnshire coast, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust manages a nature reserve on a sandy stretch which has a large grey seal colony at this time of year. This is the rather magically-named Donna Nook.  Part of the area is still a live Ministry of Defence bombing target range, so it's quite a surreal place.  You might struggle to find a better visual representation of all that's contradictory and disturbing in our relationship with nature. And with each other.
With Richard away and no Nana responsibilities today, I took the opportunity to go over there with the camera. I booked an Airbnb for Friday night too, not wanting to face the long drive back in the dark.  What luxury...!
It was a beautiful sunny day. When I arrived it was fairly quiet; then around lunch time, the visitor numbers began to build up.  I got absorbed in watching mother and pup pairs, but also in watching the watchers. One of the things I like about Donna Nook is that it attracts a really broad social mix of visitors: wildlife enthusiasts and photographers, but also family groups and people of all ages and backgrounds who are just curious.  A double fence line keeps the seals at a safe distance, protecting them from wandering human hands.  Just as well.