Tuesday 2nd November comments: The Isle of May NNR is a hugely significant grey seal colony, one of the largest in the U.K. with over 2,500 pups born on the island between late September and late December. As we are now in early November, the colonies are really starting to increase with daily arrivals of heavily pregnant females and bull seals scattered across the main colonies of the island.

The main jetties and roadways are now closed as seals pick their spot to give birth and raise their young pups. Female Grey Seals are called cows (males are bulls) and weigh about 25 stone and can live for over 30 years. They give birth to a single pup and will wean their pups for 18-21 days. During this time period pups will gain almost 3lbs per day whilst the mother will lose about 6lbs per day (they look thin at the end of the lactation period having lost almost a quarter of their body weight).

Once the pup is independent, the cows mate soon after on the colonies although have a delayed implantation and won't become pregnant again until the new year. At that stage the job is done and the mothers can return to the open sea to feed and put on those valuable pounds ready for the winter ahead. Who said raising a pup was easy? So we are now at a busy time of the year for the island as it's seal season, so let the fun begin…