Donna Nook access !

[Ollie]

Originally Posted by Tormentil

Been today with Roger (Ollie). I think everyone must have seen that today would be the best day of the week, 'cause there was quite a crowd there.

Just thawing out now and having a quick first edit of all me pics.

Certainly was busy today and the snack bar was doing a roaring trade.

Anyone thinking of going be sure to wrap up well, it wasn't a particularly cold day today but it always feel cold at Donna Nook and it got to me today.

There were excellent photo opportunities from the fence line.

Roger

[Tormentil]

Did yer fighter pics come out ok Roger?

[Ollie]

Originally Posted by Tormentil

Did yer fighter pics come out ok Roger?

Passable. I will e-mail you one.

Oops we are getting way off topic here
Roger

[Ollie]

Just a few example photos of the Seals taken at Donna Nook without going beyond the fence onto the beach. All taken with a 400mm lens.

Roger

[RoseStones]

I had a couple of friends go to Donna Nook last weekend and they said that a pup was born right in front of them, around a metre from the fence so proof if proof be needed that there's plenty to see from the fenceline

[Ollie]

Slightly off topic but Donna Nook is also an excellent place for aircraft enthusiasts. So when you have got your Seal photos you could try for the planes.

Most weekdays the RAF do practice bombing runs over Donna Nook beach. When Ben and I were there on Wednesday they were using Hawk and Tornado jets.

If you want to practise your panning skills it's an excellent opportunity as these jets don't half move. Bit faster than birds in flight anyway. I was using a 400mm lens and haven't cropped the photo below so a 300mm lens would be long enough as well.

Roger

Tornado Jet on a practise bombing run over Donna nook beach

[Tails4wagging]

Until recently I lived in lincoln for a few years and went to Donna Nook a couple of times and yes, you need to wrap up well . Last time I went it was raining hard, so had my wellies on as well as a thick waterproof coat. The weather can be wild there.

Its worth it though to see the seals so closely.

[wildmanofthewoods]

Originally Posted by Ollie

Slightly off topic but Donna Nook is also an excellent place for aircraft enthusiasts. So when you have got your Seal photos you could try for the planes.

Most weekdays the RAF do practice bombing runs over Donna Nook beach. When Ben and I were there on Wednesday they were using Hawk and Tornado jets.

If you want to practise your panning skills it's an excellent opportunity as these jets don't half move. Bit faster than birds in flight anyway. I was using a 400mm lens and haven't cropped the photo below so a 300mm lens would be long enough as well.

Roger

Tornado Jet on a practise bombing run over Donna nook beach

It's a good job were not in Greece

[PMG]

Its two years since we last went and we are thinking of a return visit sometime in the next 6 weeks or so - its a 3.5 hour journey each way for us too.

The first time I went I ony had the little Nikon Coolpix 4500 but of course I got lovely pics of the pups and their mums as they are just beside the fence - don't stick your hands thro - of course they will bite - they are wild animals espite looking like cuddly toys

As my pic above shows we walked out - its a lot further than you think and its bitter cold ........ we made sure we started walking out from the car park - we didn't slip over or thro the fence because that puts you among the mums and pups - which is dangerous for you and upsetting for them - so walk straight out in the open avoiding the sandy grassy area to your right which is the nursery and head for the tide edge keeping really wide of any seals resting or mating near the waters edge.

The pic above was taken with the 100-400 pump and you can tell with the forshortening of the ship behind and the relaxed sleep of most of the seals that I was a good way off - and I stopped at that. I had full dark waterproof gear on and got down on my belly for the last part of this distance and humped along like the seals (and just about as big and ungainly too and no doubt someone somewhere probably has the pics to prove it ) I spent a long time out there just laying around and watching and the seals soon stop bothering when you're down at their level - in fact you might have to kneel up to get them to look around and take notice of you! I got dunlin shots too this way while out there as a bonus - but all my sanderling shots were blurred - there's a surprise!

Take care tho even with full water/windproof lying on wet sand in Nov/Dec does eventually get thro to the bone and when I got to my feet to walk back I was stiff and not just shivvering - shaking violently with cold - and its a looooong walk..........

Pauline

[Ollie]

Originally Posted by wildmanofthewoods

It's a good job were not in Greece

That's exactly what my wife said when she saw the photo
Roger