Oh so itchy!

Spotted this seal pup, fortunately before my dog did, on an accessible sliver of shingle beach just below the coastal path. I tied the dog up and peeked from behind a rock (pups can be spooked by the approach of humans and harmed by dogs - their mothers may abandon them too).

This one must be almost  3 weeks old as it's losing the fluffy white baby coat that keeps it warm during its infancy on shore. It was rubbing and rolling on the pebbles and you can see that its waterproof grey pelt is already forming underneath. It will shortly take to the water where it will spend the rest of its life only emerging to bask in a safe place or to give birth and suckle its young if it's a female.

After a few minutes the pup must have caught wind of me because it startled and raised its head (extra). I beat a hasty retreat.

I've been having connection problems which meant that I've not been able to get online much for the past week or so. When I have managed to connect I have been keeping up with Arachne's brilliant series of blips from Extinction Rebellion London. If you haven't been following them I would urge you to do so - her reportage in words and images could not be bettered. They start here.