Clearwing Moths at Strumpshaw save the day!

I needed to visit Potter Heigham today to buy some bird food, so I left early and walked out to the Marshes. Despite a good walk round there was no sign of yesterday's reported Black-winged Stilt, nor any Spoonbills. A surprising variety of passage waders were present, considering it's mid June: Greenshank, both Godwits, Dunlin and Ruff. Back at Latham's car park, I enjoyed watching a pair of House Martins nest-building.

After picking up fifty quids-worth of bird food, I carried on to Yarmouth, spending an hour scoping the Racecourse for the recently-present Pied Crow. No luck: later it was reported at Winterton, I believe.

After lunch I visited Strumpshaw, taking my full set of pheromone lures for a Clearwing hunt! The extremely helpful Rob Holmes had given me a heads-up that he had encountered several species there over the weekend. As it happened, I didn't need the lures, because I quickly located both Currant and Red-tipped Clearwings by sight! After some photos, I did try the lures and the Currants reacted very strongly, being drawn in from some distance. Other good things included several Meadow Browns, a Large Skipper and a Hobby catching dragonflies overhead!