Posted by jack chapman on January 14, 2008 at 5:32 PM
...when you can walk for an hour and a half to blakeney point Common and grey seals on blakeney, this is a common seal pup (i think). I would also appreciate any tips on telling apart common and grey seal pups for my filing.
350D + 300mm F4L + 1.4 extender
1/250 @ 5.6
ISO 400
full frame
The likelyhood is, if you took this recently it is a Grey, if it was taken in or around June it is a Common.
T
Posted by Andy Astbury on January 14, 2008 at 6:37 PM
Very nice image Jack
I'd just clone out that tiny bit of greenery that's on the right frame edge - positionally it's a bit spurious and colour-wise it looks odd.
Very nice job - one of your best I think - wish it was mine
Posted by Paul Gibbs on January 15, 2008 at 5:15 AM
Hmm nice, the visual keys i use are, shape of the muzzle, and the positioning of the eyes. The common's eyes are more forward facing and the muzzle is more discrete.
Posted by John Chapman on January 15, 2008 at 5:57 AM
Its quite hard to tell the difference in newborn seals, so much so, that the breeding time is the best indication.
Adult seals are easier to tell apart:
The Grey seal is much larger and heavier. with a hound like face, a blunt nose and nostrils wide apart. The Common seal is smaller, has a rounded head, a snub nose, the face in profile is slightly dished, the front view is cat-like and the nostrils (in the adult) form a distinctive V.
The other indication, althought not definative, is the presence of the white coat. The grey seal pup at birth will be covered in long white hair which it keeps for about 2-3 days before it starts to moult and the frequenty seen yellow(ish) stain in thw hite coat is amniotic fluid of the placental bag. The Common seal pup sometimes has a yellowish- white foetal hair but it diossappears within 24 hours but most will have moulted before birth the hair being ejected with the placental bag.
T
Posted by Dave Sewell on January 15, 2008 at 6:45 AM
If you took this recently it's a Grey - commons have their young in June. One good reason for not walking to Blakeney Point is that it's like wading through treacle. One of the worst walks on earth! You could always get the boat from Morston.
http://www.beansboattrips.co.uk/
Posted by jack chapman on January 15, 2008 at 12:13 PM
thanks for all the comments,
this was taken on the weekend so i guess that makes it a grey pup then,
agree about the walk there David, as for the boat trips they don't land in winter
Posted by Dave Sewell on January 15, 2008 at 12:34 PM
Forgot to say it's a nice shot too! A welcome change to see something else but sand around a seal pup! Fair play to you for making the effort to get up there Jack - I've been visitng Norfolk for 20 years and I've only done it twice! What must have been nice was to have the colony all to yourself - that must be a novelty in Norfolk these days!
Dave
Discussion
11 replies350D + 300mm F4L + 1.4 extender
1/250 @ 5.6
ISO 400
full frame
T
I'd just clone out that tiny bit of greenery that's on the right frame edge - positionally it's a bit spurious and colour-wise it looks odd.
Very nice job - one of your best I think - wish it was mine
John
Aberdeen
Adult seals are easier to tell apart:
The Grey seal is much larger and heavier. with a hound like face, a blunt nose and nostrils wide apart. The Common seal is smaller, has a rounded head, a snub nose, the face in profile is slightly dished, the front view is cat-like and the nostrils (in the adult) form a distinctive V.
The other indication, althought not definative, is the presence of the white coat. The grey seal pup at birth will be covered in long white hair which it keeps for about 2-3 days before it starts to moult and the frequenty seen yellow(ish) stain in thw hite coat is amniotic fluid of the placental bag. The Common seal pup sometimes has a yellowish- white foetal hair but it diossappears within 24 hours but most will have moulted before birth the hair being ejected with the placental bag.
T
http://www.beansboattrips.co.uk/
this was taken on the weekend so i guess that makes it a grey pup then,
agree about the walk there David, as for the boat trips they don't land in winter
Dave