The first pups are being born at Horsey Gap nature reserve – an important breeding area for grey seals, Britain’s largest carnivorous mammal.

Throughout the year you may be lucky enough to see a head popping up from the sea but from November to January the females come up onto popular breeding sites on shore, known as rookeries, to have their pups and stay for several weeks.

The female gives birth to a single pup, which will only weigh around 14kgs, but it will soon fatten with its mother’s milk. The pups are born with a creamy-white coat while females are light grey and the males a darker grey. The pups begin to develop a greyish coat after about three weeks, around the time that the mother decides the juvenile is old enough to fend for itself and she leaves to mate again.

The bulls haul themselves on shore during the breeding season to gain access to a territory and mate with all the females on that part of the beach. You will probably see a tussle as they fight for dominance.

A trip to Horsey is a great day out for all the family but please remember to give the seals the respect they deserve and to look after yourselves, family and pets. Access to the beach is restricted from November to January. Don’t leave any litter and take great care where you walk. Dogs are not permitted on the beach during breeding time.

Seals can be aggressive, particularly when protecting their young, so admire from a distance.

Kevin Eastwood from Poppylands tearooms and restaurant in Horsey said: “This year some of the seals have pupped even closer to Horsey Gap car park. Normally you have to walk about a mile but on one of the first weekends there were about five pups with the mothers about 500 yards away.

Though the seals and their big brown eyes are a major attraction there is plenty more for nature lovers to keep their eyes peeled for. You can spot pink-footed geese, white-fronted geese and whooper swans as well as many raptors including the rough-legged buzzard, hen harrier, marsh harrier and red kite around the Horsey area.

While you are there you can also see the National Trust owned five storey windpump which sits at Horsey Staithe and you can pop to the Nelson Head pup or the cosy and quirky Poppyland Tea Rooms in the area.