Photographer spots yawning seal on riverbank

A photographer had his dreams fulfilled when he captured a seal "resting up" in a more unlikely area of Lincolnshire.

Lee Enderby spotted the seal at Baston Fen Nature Reserve on 27 January when he was on the lookout for otters.

He snapped photos of the animal resting on the riverbank between Baston Fen and Kates Bridge, while walking along the River Glen.

Mr Enderby, from Bourne, said he captured some "interesting behaviour" from the seal, including it sitting up and yawning.

Mr Enderby, who described the nature reserve as a "good birdwatching site", had visited the area several times before he saw the seal.

He said he "noticed something moving" and discovered the seal resting in water about 10ft (3m) deep.

"As I got nearer I realised that it was a common seal, which I never in my wildest dreams expected to see in a relatively narrow body of water," he added.

The seal was described by the photographer as looking "healthy and well-fed".

Despite returning to the location twice after the sighting, Mr Enderby has not caught sight of the animal again.

A spokesperson for the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust said it was "not that unusual" to spot seals in rivers due to their "inquisitive nature".

They said there was "likely to be fish" for the seal to feed on in the river, which is why it may have made its way to Baston Fen Nature Reserve.

It is likely it made its own way back out to sea once the food source started to run out, the spokesperson explained.

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