Decided to spend another afternoon down at Spurn Point at The Narrows.
Around 14.15, I was rather startled to notice a huge whale spouting c75-100 metres off the beach... in whale terms... it was showing well!!! It spouted and showed most of its body a couple of times then disappeared from view. After a couple of phone calls to folk at Spurn once I had a phone signal, I was joined by a couple of the locals, Adam Hutt, driver and another, (apologies I don't know every one's name). After no sign for several minutes, and a couple of seals playing just offshore, I was beginning to worry! However, it started spouting again and news was relayed to others via radio.
The whale eventually reached the seawatch hut, showing occasionally to those that had gathered, and continued north past Kilnsea and Easington Gas Terminal, Withernsea (Andy Gibson... who followed it up the coast) and from pager reports, had reached Tunstall after 7pm this evening.
The general view among folk (I don't know a great deal about whales... especially when one appears totally out of the blue and throws me completely) was that it was probably a young Humpback and this suggestion also came out on the pager message from the observer(s) at Tunstall. Unfortunately, I failed in all my attempts to capture the creature on camera. I'm not sure if anyone managed any, but I guess if any are available, then they may feature on the Spurn website. Link on the right.
The rest of the highlights 12.20-18.00:- (all south unless stated) 1538 Swallow, 72 Sand Martin, 58 House Martin, 6 Red-throated Diver, 53 Gannet, 1 Manx Shearwater, 21 Pink-feet, 17 Common Scoter, 8 Teal, 265+ Dunlin, 12 Grey Plover, 4 Golden Plover, 2 Arctic Skua, 7 Sandwich Tern, 47 Common Tern (birds starting to move just as I left), 15 Meadow Pipit, 1 Goldinch and 2 Linnet.
A couple of Little Egrets on the Humber just to the north of the Narrows.
Other things of note included 2 Migrant Hawker, 2 Red Admiral, 1 Small Tortoiseshell - taken quickly south by passing Swallow.
Another surprise for the day was a Hornet which flew south and appeared to land in the among the square shaped sea defences.
Once again, spending life in nature's playground turns up another surprise when you least expect it! And I fulfilled a long held ambition to find a whale from dry land. Better than a boat!!!
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