DONNA NOOK

It's hard work this giving birth, and being born, so a good snooze in the sunshine was perfect.

A visit today to Lincolnshire Wildlife Reserve at Donna Nook. The seals as always were an amazing sight. Though why certain photographers, with huge zoom lenses, even though the reserve volunteers tried to discourage them, felt they had to walk out to the edge of the sands, was beyond me and the rest of the visitors. How close do you have to get for goodness sake? My zoom is not exactly a wildlife photographer's dream but I think I managed just fine.

There were also two jet-skiers who zoomed into the sands on the water's edge where the pregnant females are resting, causing a lot of them to flee into the sea. Well, I'm sure that gave the jet-skiers a great thrill. I managed to get photos of them through the telescope and hope the wardens can identify them.

On the same motherhood theme we found a young lady collapsed into her husband's arms, with two small children, tears just starting to roll down their cheeks in distress. The lady was six month's pregnant and having difficulty breathing, and went from white to purple rather quickly, a first-aider was sought and an ambulance called, though the operator was having trouble identifying Donna Nook Seal Sanctuary as an arrival point! A most touching moment was when jackets were being found to wrap around the young mum and the little boy, who was her stepson, immediately took his jacket off.

The time we spent with them has not left my mind for a moment and I do hope she is okay, and that she and the children have recovered from the frightening experience.