The moth trap was heaving so after sorting out the haul and potting up some nice moths including lilac beauty, lackey, ghost moth, scorched wing, swallow tailed, buff tip and 17 hawk moths, privet and both elephants. After I headed to Sherwood Forest, the Major oak was quite impressive and a strategically placed ice cream van could not be avoided. However I was there for Welsh clearwing and several came in to my lures and I got some nice photos. A female Redstart was a nice bonus but not much else apart from squirrels. I visited my brother before popping in at College lake for a few plants Dragon's teeth, pheasants eye, corn cleavers and weasel's snout.

Chips - The Big Fish, Ollerton - Battered Sausage, Pickled egg and chips 8/10

I met a few people for a botanical wander, first round Monks Wood for one rare plant the crested cow wheat, but a few other interesting plants were seen such as hairy St John's Wort, but the main part of the day was spent at Woodwalton Fen. However the two major rare plants were not present this year and the other goodies Fen ragwort and Greater water parsnip were not yet in flower. Lesser Water Parsnip was in flower as was fen bedstraw, marsh ragwort and water chickweed but it was very tough going in the incredible heat and there was little shade to help. There were plenty of dragonflies scarce chaser, black tailed skimmer, four spotted chaser, red eyed damselfly, large red damselfly. I diverted from my route home to pop into Glapthorn Cow Pasture for Black hairstreak which were showing well.

I popped out to the Brecks on Wednesday for a couple of hours ladybird hunting and caught up with a couple of plants corn marigold, small nettle, dark mullien. Ladybird wise several Adonis ladybirds a and plenty of 7, 14 and 16 spots and a thistle ermine moth.

I ran my LED moth trap at work and had a few nice moths, highlights Privet and elephant hawkmoths, clouded border, barred straw

And on Friday George Moreton kindly allowed me to visit to see a Scarlet tiger he had caught.

I already had a day out in Kent planned for a few plants but I awoke to find a message about the rediscovery in Kent of moth extinct in the UK for over 40 years. Clearly I had to put this into my route. First was a quick stop in Essex for round leaved wintergreen where plenty were in flower. Next stop in some chalk downland in Kent, I found 4 Hypercallia citrinalis and lured in some six belted clearwings and saw a yellow necked mouse and my first ringlet of the year. I then visited a few sites for some plants long stalked cranesbill, Jersey cudweed, flour leaved allseed, grass vetchling of note. I was not feeling great so I headed for home mid afternoon.

I had a selection of coastal sites to visit today for knotted hedge parsley followed by a visit to Overstrand for Yarrow broomrape here there were hundreds of plants including some different colour forms. painted ladies were everywhere . I diverted from the coast a little in search of White barred clearwing, one was lured in fairly quickly. After a lunch stop I headed to Minsmere for a wander, nothing in particular to target and a nice Norfolk hawker the highlight and more painted ladies. I made a brief stop at Landguard again just for a wander good numbers of painted ladies again noted. My last stop of the day was to visit Matthew Deans at Bawdsley who had kindly allowed me to visit to see a striped hawkmoth he had trapped the previous evening.

Chips - Taylor's, Martham - Spam Fritter, pickled egg, mushy peas and Chips - 8.5/10

I had an appointment early afternoon but after managed a few hours in the Brecks for plants and insects, joined halfway through by Stuart Read. My first stop was Cranwich where Spanish catchfly was growing in profusion but I was after smooth rupturewort, a couple of plants in flower and plenty of Pyrausta despicata moths. I popped in on the perennial knawel which I had not been able to find a couple of weeks back but was now flowering and was straightforward to find. I dodged a rain shower in the car to my next destination where I found a few individuals of tower mustard in flower and plenty more not yet . Next stop was West Stow for maidens pink, Russian cinquefoil, field mouse ear, knotted and rough clovers and a nice angle sided scymnus ladybird amongst the other insects. Next stop was Icklingham for sickle medic and small Alison but the alison had already gone over. Stuart left and I headed to Lakenheath RSPB for a dusk wander and to eat some chips. I found a resting large skipper, a roe deer, cuckoo and barn owl during my brief walk.

Chips - Trawlers Catch, Lakenheath - Burger and Chips - 8/10

After some touristy stops we arrived at Kenfig dunes the sun came out and it was very warm. There were plentiful orchids, pyramidal, heath spotted, early marsh and southern marsh but we were searching for the rarer fen orchid which was flowering nicely. We took a wander round the reserve with some stonechats plentiful skylarks and we saw some of the attractive sea stocks and plenty of common broomrape. After a well-earned ice cream we made a quick stop nearby for vipers grass to round off the day.

We visited Stanner Rocks where the warden kindly gave us a guided tour of the reserve the highlights were botanical, perennial knawel, upright clover, sticky catchfly and spiked speedwell along with a few butterflies, painted lady, common blue and small heath and a wood warbler in the pleasant sunshine. The rest of the afternoon it rained so we were lucky with our timing, and thanks to Rhys the warden for our tour.

Despite the heavy rain I managed a trip out visiting College Lake which had a few common birds, but I was here for some plants the reintroduced scarce meadow plants here are of interest, field cow wheat, corn chamomile and corn poppy doing very well but a nice selection of the less abundant plants, corn cleavers, prickly poppy, shepherds needle, field gromwell, thorowax, corn buttercup but the upright goosefoot was the highlight.

Unfortunately my trip to Coquet Island was cancelled due to the poor weather so I did some touristy stuff as I headed south. I made a couple of short stops the first at Seal Sands for common seals, a couple present and they left on the rising tide as I was there. Last stop was nearby where some rather striking northern marsh orchids var atrata along with several hybrids not easy to photograph in the wind and rain and I headed for home.

Chips - Golden G's, Middlesbrough - Parmo and chips 8/10

I started the day at Fowlsheuge RSPB, a tree sparrow and a painted lady along with the expected seabirds, I had the reserve to myself and enjoyed the reasonable weather, next stop was nto far away where I explored the coast looking for Dickies bladder fern The rest of the day was spent doing touristy stuff as I made my was back into England.

Chip Shop - Jim Jacks, Peebles - Pizza and chips 9/10

The moth trap only had a couple of common moths due to the very cold temperature overnight so I headed to the Caringorms, first stop was for Coralroot Orchids flowering nicely. During my trip to Scotland in April we found some nesting dippers and I took a quick look for them and they were still nesting showing nicely. Next stop was for One flowered and chickweed wintergreens which were just starting to flower. I popped into Loch Garten where I had some nice treecreepers, a Bank vole and a Red squirrel. I had a wander on Cairngorm for a short while before the rain started but only found a few plants incuding a couple of nice ones mountain everlasting and mountain avens. I headed over to Aberdeen for the evening taking a look at the bottle nosed dolphins before darkenss fell.

Chips - Low's Westhill - onion rings, Haggis and chips 8.5/10

I headed to Loch Maree first thing in good weather here I was again after Azure hawker and I quickly found one perching on a log. Next stop was for a few plants but the weather turned and I got totally soaked and did not find my targets. I headed north to Caithness for the evening and found a few plants of interest Purple Oxytropis and Reay eyebright and some twite in slightly better weather.

Chips - Robins Chippy, Thurso - Haggis bites, macaroni bites and chips 9/10

The moth trap had a nice selection of moths including Peppered Moth, foxglove pug, swallow prominent, scalloped hazel, peacock moth, dark prominent. I then drove to the Allt Mhuic reserve and had a wander in the pleasant early morning sun where I encountered some moths Silver hook, fox moth, argent and sable. I was after Azure hawker but during my wander only found a Chequered skipper, golden ringed dragonfly and small pearl bordered fritillary. As I headed to leave I disturbed a Azure hawker but it flew off and I did not manage a photo. I headed to Skye and the Old Man of Storr, I headed to the top in search of Iceland purslane but could only find plants that were not flowering, alpine saxifrage also was not flowering but I did find some nice alpine lady's mantle, cyphel, mossy saxifrage, moss campion which were all in flower.

Chips - Cafe Sia, Broadford - Haggis chips 9/10

I was in Perthshire first thing, heavy rain hampered my search for a couple of plants and at lunch time I gave up. I headed west where the weather improved and at Glasdrum wood the sun even came out enough for the chequered skippers, pearl bordered fritillaries and white spotted sables to show well as did a crew from Norfolk that I knew. I found a nice slow worm before leaving and I drove to Fort William for chips. I then headed to Allt Mhuic area for the evening, I found a nice spot for my moth trap.

Chips - Sammy's Fish & Chip Shop Caol - Chips haggis - 7/10

I was in the South Lakes which was dreary, cold and windy, first stop was Gait Barrows where angular solomon's seal and lily of valley and brittle bladder fern. Next stop was for Greater butterfly orchids alongside a busy dual carriageway. Walney Geranium was the next target found on Walney island After some chips I headed to Orton Meadows where leafless hawkweed was eventually found in a sea of other yellow flowers, plenty of other nice plants here including plenty of orchids.

Chips - Arnside Chip Shop - John Bull and Chips 9/10

A much better day and we headed up Snowdon via the long tourist path, a few plants along the way but nothing of great interest. We reached the high parts and had some nice raraties, Arctic mouse ear, mossy campion, starry saxifrage but the target was the elegant Snowdon Lily. Lots of common species on the walk down and a few interesting ones until we joined the tourist path back down.

It was a shocking day heavy rain as a small group of us headed up Cwm Idwal for rare mountain plants. It was not easy in the pouring rain but we did find Alpine clubmoss, bog stitchwort, mountain sorrel and plenty of sedges in the lower areas. In the higher areas we had tufted saxifrage, green spleenwort, alpine saxifrage (not in flower), moss campion, starry saxifrage and lesser clubmoss. The weather was still poor but as we decended the rain stopped and it cleared for some nice views and the chance to dry off. Another set of plants as we headed back via a different route, lemon scented fern, lady fern, Wilson's filmy fern, marsh violet and plenty of feral goats. After something to eat we headed to a local site for forked spleenwort and an impressive array of lichen, before calling it a night.

I started a day of Botany at Abergele for Italian alkanet, then on to the Great Orme which was a little misty, some nice stonechats and feral goats the mist refused to clear and the rain arrived so I tried different area for Welsh hawkweed. I had to pop to Anglesey for Spotted rock rose again in poor weather. I did a couple of tourist stops during the worst of the weather and headed back to the Great Orme late afternoon. Plenty of Feral goats and I managed to find the specialities such as Great Orme cotoneaster, spotted cats ear and sea storksbill. I headed to Anglesey where I was staying, popping into Cors Bodeilio for a nice selection of plants some nice orchids, bogbean, marsh lousewort. Then two quick stops for Anglesea and Southern Horsetails before chips.

Chips - Aran, Llangefni - Fish and Chips - 7.5/10