HUMPBACK WHALE!!! Wahooo!!!

My plan was to arrive at Salthouse at dawn, photograph the Grey Phalarope at sunrise – take awesome shots, seawatch, have a hot cheese scone at the Cley VC and then wherever the fancy took me after that. So – this is what actually happened! 

The alarm went off at 5.30am – bashed the alarm and shut my eyes...... a few moments later it was 7.45am!!! I woke up in an angry, grumpy mood. Cross, that I bashed the alarm down, and cross because of several annoying things going on, which I can't really discuss on here. My mood worsened with the 'no news' on the Grey Phalarope at Salthouse. I was sooooo looking forward to watching this bird and photographing it – bl**dy typical – Friday night bunk!!! The only decent bird to see on my day off and it had gone – grumble, grumble, grumble.

I just could not be bothered to make sandwiches. Made a flask and left the house after 9am. Bought a quorn slice from Asda and went to Roydon Common to look for the Great Grey Shrike. If there were no other birders here already, I wasn't going to stop. I don't mean that in a lazy way, but I'm not exactly in love with this place, its bleak and often dead boring. I have spent hours wandering round here seeing nothing and with short days, I didn't want to spend any more time here than was necessary. Fortunately, as I pulled up into the carpark, Jim Swalwell had also just arrived and moments later Steve West and friend also joined us, so we all went off together in search of the Great Grey Shrike. We could hear Common Buzzards calling and a Golden Plover flew overhead also calling. As we walked along the path amongst the heather, I did not feel we had a hope in h*ll of seeing this bird, BUT we got really lucky when I spotted the Great Grey Shrike perched on a big birch stump at 9.55am. Another birder we bumped into moments after we found it, said he had been searching for the shrike for the last hour and a half! The shrike didn't stay on the stump for very long and zoomed off to perch on a small pine tree, where we watched it hover momentarily and then off again into a bunker and then again onto a hawthorn along a fence line. The shrike spent a bit of time in this favoured spot, flying down to the ground to feed and then back to the hawthorn. Some dog walkers appeared where the shrike was a bit later and I couldn't re-locate it. Jim and others had left. A huge flock of Redwings flew overhead – difficult to estimate how many, but at least 50+. I walked back alone and realised that the shrike had re-located to a hawthorn not far from the carpark. which is where another birder was watching it through his scope. Exciting news came on my pager: 'Norfolk Humpback Whale north past Waxham again'. OMG – I had just had to go, I wanted that Whale! I speed walked past the hawthorn bush where the shrike was only moments ago, but it was nowhere to be found – obviously sneaked off low over the heather somewhere. Any photographers thinking they are going to get a full frame picture of this bird, think again! You'll be lucky to digiscope it never mind photograph it. I didn't even get a blob on the camera!

Sat Nav: Destination: Waxham – Go! As I drove along, another message came up to say the Humpback Whale was now off Sea Palling but distant at 12.15pm – it was still there, how exciting! 57.5 miles later I arrived at Sea Palling, turning down Beach Road and then taking a left turn along a narrow road alongside the pay and display carparks. I continued along the road and turned right at a junction and then followed the road up until a campsite sign and parked the car along the verge. It was raining lightly and was freezing cold. I climbed up to the high dunes to overlook the sea and rocks below. I stood here for what seemed like ages. Saw a bonxie, an auk sp., gulls, several flocks of Starlings in off the sea, but nothing much else. My heart sank. There was no one else here, no whale, it was seriously cold and the rain was now much heavier. I left and trudged back to my car. Met Paul W. who's car was parked next to mine who told me the Whale was being seen with gannets from the main entrance to the dunes, by the shops, cafe's and carparks. I re-located and parked in the cafe carpark. Walked up to the dunes and found a few other birders looking for the whale including Tim Allwood! To be expected really, it's Tim's patch! A few gannets going past, but no sign of the Humpback Whale. Everyone left eventually and I stood alone. The pager bleeped up with news of the Whale being seen at Waxham at 2.47pm! Off I zoomed!

I parked at Shangri La Cottage at Waxham and walked up to the dunes to join a lady called Alison Allen who had very kindly put the news out (thank you so much) and Marcus Nash. Marcus kindly pointed out where he had last seen the whale a few moments ago. I looked through my scope to watch several gannets on the horizon. Then, suddenly I witnessed a tail splash – it was 3pm and I had just seen my first HUMPBACK WHALE OMG!!! – in fact the first whale I had ever seen and here it was in my home county of Norfolk – how awesome was that!!! I just couldn't believe my luck. My mood soared to a euphoric state! Ok, so it was distant, very distant as in on the horizon and you needed your scope and no I didn't get the camera out of the bag – there was no question of a record shot, BUT I had seen it. I watched the whale again, this time breaching and then another tail splash – I was smiling away to myself. I felt like I was watching a disney movie watching that tail flick up on the horizon, it was like a beautiful dream. So worth the 116 mile round trip, the cold, the rain and the waiting!!! A Bonxie was also seen, several Common Scoter and more Starlings. Duncan Mac. joined us who also saw the whale. We watched it up until 3.45pm (I think it was). Marcus left and then Alison. Then Duncan left and Tim Allwood joined me – nice to catch up. The light was now dire and I didn't see it any more. Walked back to the car, had a coffee and then drove home. It took forever to get back, its a long way to King's Lynn from Waxham!

I REALLY regret booking shifts tomorrow. If I wasn't working I would be back at Waxham again for the entire day, with flask of coffee and camera in hand.

Top tip for anyone going tomorrow – look for the gannets, keep focussed on them and watch for the tail coming up!

Footage and pictures HERE and pictures HERE

SEASCAPE PICTURE AT WAXHAM and FUNGUS AT ROYDON TO BE ADDED