I popped to Dovercourt before work to see the recently discovered colony of the firebug (Pyrrhocoris apterus). The area was alive with them, adults and plenty of nymphs so clearly breeding well, I also had a rather nice lime hawkmoth caterpillar, well worth the effort to visit despite the sweltering heat.

I popped to Newmarket to see the Spiked Speedwells with only 16 spikes on my last visit a few years back I was pleased to see almost 300 spikes, there were plenty of butterflies loads of Chalkhill blues but also meadow brown, small tortoiseshell, brown argus, common blue, small skipper, small heath, large white, ringlet and peacock.

I headed south making a few tourist stops before arriving at Crosby late afternoon, the strong wind was blowing the sand everywhere and made searching for plants tricky but I found some nice ones isle of Man cabbage and dune wormwood the highlights before heading home.

Chips - George & Angela's, Crosby - Sausage, Salt and pepper Chips 8/10

I got the moth traps packed up and started walking up Cairngorm, before the rain started and it never stopped all day. I cut my walk a bit short but still found a few nice plants before retreating to the car for shelter. I headed for the forests for a bit lots of common wintergreen and a few creeping ladies tresses, least water lily and a couple of red squirrels. I had a break for food then did some more local walks for river water crowfoot and some commoner plants. Glen Tilt was my next stop and the long walk in the pouring rain was eventually rewarded with small cow wheat. I headed south stopping for mountain currant before a stop for chips. The Loch of the Lowes was closed so I headed tomy accomodation in Dunkeld for the night to escape the rain.

Chips - Marmaris, Blairgowrie - Haggis and Chips 7/10

After a leisurely start I headed to a rather tricky gorge which at the bottom was Whorled Solomon's seal, the farmland I traversed during the walk had common hemp nettle and a calling Quail. I headed up Glenshee, the chairlift was closed so I had to be content with Scoping Ptarmigan and mountain hare from the car park, but a red grouse was obliging enough to come down to the car park. I stopped for some melancholy thistles before heading to Ben Lawers but could not find any Mountain ringlets. Next stop was Aberfeldy but could not find small cow wheat. I did find some roadside mammals, a brown hare and some red deer on my drive to Aviemore for chips. My last stop was at Insh Marshes for some moth trapping, weather conditions were sub optimal, cold and very windy and even siting the traps in sheltered spots did not help as the wind moved constantly. Still a few nice moths were trapped Antler moth, spruce carpet, northern spinach, pinion streaked snout, welch wave the pick.

Chips - Smiffy's, Aviemore - Haggis and Chips 8/10

I waited for the rain to ease before heading off for a long walk in Glen Clova and the mountains beyond, After an hour it stopped the sun came out and it was a beautiful day. The walk was tough in the heat but the views were amazing. I made it across the swollen river without getting wet and made it to my destination. Here in a rocky area was Alpine catchfly my target. Also in the area was mountain scurvygrass and Alpine mouse ear. The walk back was stunning and easier walking, the woodland had a few common hawkers but little else. I was exhausted but made it to Alyth for Chips by the river before heading to my accommodation for the night and some sleep.

Chips - Aylth Fish and Chips, Aylth - Haggis and Chips 8/10

I headed north after work and made it to Bishop Middleham quarry as the weather started to turn, there was a fine display of Dark Red helleborines but conditions were not good for butterflies, I headed off before it turned bad but my drive to Scotland was in the pouring rain.

Chips - Coxhoe Fish Bar, Coxhoe - Spam fritter and Chips 7.5/10

I headed to the Brecks, first stop a woodland ride for Corn Chamomile, smooth rupturewort and a nice selection of dragonflies and butterflies. I popped into Cranwich to see the fine display of proliferous pinks before heading to Foulden common for Large Thyme and more yet dragonflies and butterflies. Peacock butterflies were everywhere and in amazing numbers at all sites I visited today really amazing. I stopped at Santon Downham for Broad leaved and Green flowered helleborines some wall lettuce and heath groundsel. Last stop was Lakenheath for a quick wander again loads of butterflies and dragonflies along with a cracking Marsh harrier.

A brief stop for the Fen ragwort and soapwort before heading to Upwood Meadow, I have been there early in the year for the orchids but always meant to visit later in the year for the late flowering plants. One of the meadows was being grazed but the other was amazing full of flowers such as Betony, saw-wort, yellow rattle, great burnet, knapweed. I popped into Woodwalton Fen briefly for a quick walk, I met two ladies looking for beetles and I gave them a few pointers for the tansy beetles, they had found a nice Carabus granulatus. I had a brief view of a Chinese water deer and two grass snakes, a nice selection of insects, supported by and some nice plants, some impressive marsh sow thistles and yellow oxeye but the pick was some greater bladderwort.

I headed to the Lee Valley to meet up with Andrew Jewels for an afternoon of ladybirds, we searched a couple of site for about 4 hours and came up with an incredible 16 species. 7, 14, 16, 22, 24 spot, harlequin, Adonis, ivy, red rumped, Round keeled, pointed keeled and oak scymnus, dot ladybird, red marsh ladybird, Forresters ladybird, pine ladybird Pleny of other insects of note Painted lady, dock bug, rhombic leatherbug, Tortoise, Pied and green shieldbug, oak bush cricket on a lovely afternoon.

I started in Dartford where James Hunter promised Jersey Tiger in his moth trap and the promise was duly fulfilled.
Ranscombe farm was a different matter and I had no luck finding Rough Mallow despite an extensive search, it is there somewhere. Panicled willowherb at my next site was far easier but I had to look hard to find one in flower as they were only just starting. I stopped on the coast briefly for Ox tongue broomrape before heading to Rye Harbour.
I had struggled to see least lettuce in flower and yet again I struggled but eventually I spotted a lone flower. I made it back to the car before the rain started and it was torrential all the way to my next stop even after a fuel and ice cream stop. Cuckmere Haven was quite busy despite the heavy rain, but the rain eased as I set off for my walk up to the cliff top. I was after a small plants in the short grass, not helped by the wind and rain I started my search after 10 mins I spotted the wall germander several plants in flower and several more which had been eaten. Despite the rain I had two unexpected chalkhill blue butterflies.
I got back to the car as the rain stopped typical! I popped in briefly on hoary cinquefoil but my last stop after chips was near Winchester and at about 8.30pm the night flowering catchfly was fully open very nice to see and time for home after a long day.

Chips - Seafare, Winchester - Battered Sausage, Pea fritter, pickled egg and Chips 8/10

I popped to see the yellow flowered teasel in Cambridge on the way to work.
After work I headed for the Chip shop before meeting up with James Hunter for a moth trapping session. We had 10 traps a mix of MV and Actinic and one LED trap running in a woodland clearing, the air was humid, hot and the mosquitos were biting all good signs for a top night. The number of moths built up and we got the first good moth of the night a small chocolate tip. It was not all about the rare moths we had loads of attractive moths which are not rare such as black arches, festoon, lobster, sallow kitten, lunar spotted pinion, L album wainscot.
There were lots of moths around all the traps and this brought in some more megas clay fanfoot, Scarce Merveille du Jour, Agrotera nemoralis supported by some nice scarce moths scarce silver lines, Four spotted footman, Lesser spotted pinion, Bisigna procerella, Evergestis limbata, Anania verbascalis.
Some non-moths were also attracted in to the traps orange ladybird, Diaperis boleti and great diving beetle and a selection of grasshoppers then the mega mega was spotted a ringed border an uber rare species.
And towards the end of the evening a Dark Crimson Underwing dropped in. A cracking night with over 170 species including some very rare ones and over 10 new ones for me, I headed for home but stopped near Dartford for a look at some white mullein a very striking plant and I headed home for a quick shower and on to work.

Chips - Fish and Chip Inn, Ashford - Battered Saveloy, Onion rings and Chips 8/10

I popped to the Brecks on the way to work mostly for ladybirds but nothing of note only 7, 16, 24 spot, Adonis and harlequin ladybirds but I did find a few shieldbugs Fallen's and rhombic leatherbugs, and hairy and Scarab shieldbugs. Maiden's pinks were flowering in abundance along with a little Breckland thyme along with some nice dark mullein.

I was up early and James Hunter and I headed to Dorset, first stop was the Berkshire / Hampshire downs, here in the rich downland flora we had a few frog and burnt tip orchids. It was glorious sunshine and singing skylark and corn bunting made the experience idyllic. We headed into the New Forest for some dragonflies, and conditions were perfect with Emperor, keeled skimmer, broad bodied chaser, Golden ringed Dragonfly, Small red damselfly, Blue tailed and Scarce blue tailed. A supporting array of nice plants such as clustered bellflower and squinancywort With near perfect clearwing conditions we tried our luck at a site in Dorset for Sallow Clearwing. The first arrived and we had barely unpacked the lures. In just over 30 mins we has 13 and spent a little time getting some nice photos and an interesting observation from James was the size differences of some individuals we had one half the size of most of the others. It was far beyond our expectations and we popped into Corfe to see Lulworth Skippers which were mostly past their best.
Next we tried for Sand lizards and had a brief view of two, but the site was full of other wildlife particularly butterflies, Grayling, silver studded blue, common blue, brown argus, peacock, gatekeeper, red admiral, meadow brown, ringlet, large skipper, small skipper, and a couple of dragons southern hawker, common darter, azure blue. It was time for chips before one last stop on the way home to see Marsh fragrant orchids at least a couple of hundred amongst the thousands of marsh helleborines, another excellent but tiring day.

Chips - Poulner Fish and Chips, Ringwood - Battered Sausage, Mac n Cheese bites and Chips 8/10

With the news that the Lammergeier had finally been pinned down and was roosting at dusk, it was an overnight drive to the Peak District making it to Strines for a quick sleep, a hedgehog of note on the way. Then came the long and rather boggy walk, with Nightjar and ring ouzel for company. It was almost a disaster the call came up that it was flying when I was still 10 mins from the viewpoint, but it circled round and some flight views were had before it perched on its favoured cliff and good views were had. Phew!!! On the way to Frampton a quick stop to try unsuccessfully for Welsh clearwing. On arrival at Frampton the Caspian Tern had just flown seconds before. It returned later but there was plenty to see at this very birdy reserve while it was away. Common, green and Curlew sandpipers, ruff, spoonbill, dunlin, black tailed godwits of note, but the Caspian tern was the highlight and it showed reasonably well. That was enough for the day before heading home to sleep.

Postponed from the weekend due to poor weather I headed north for a long day out, and the weather was excellent so the delay was probably for the best. I started at Ullswater for Creeping Spearwort which grows along the shore, but there was no sign, so I tried a few other bays near the site I was checking but no luck, although 4 goosander were nice. I bumped into some swimmers and they mentioned that the water level had risen quite a bit recently so I returned to the site and well underwater was the Creeping Spearwort, equipped with wellies and an underwater camera I found them and got a few pics. Next stop was High Force Waterfall, here I was after Shrubby Cinquefoil, it was growing in the car park but I took a walk to the waterfall anyway and saw some in a more natural riverside setting. Mountain pansies and dark green fritillary also seen along the walk and at least 3 spotted flycatchers.
It was a glorious day and my walk at Widdybank fell was full of birds such as, wheatear, skylark, meadow pipit, oystercatcher, lapwing and curlew. But I was here for some plants the lovely Yellow saxifrage and alpine bartsia both in good condition along with a good selection of other plants Smooth ladys mantle, bog asphodel
I popped into a small quarry reserve for the Round leaved St John's wort at its only UK site, along with lots of fairy foxgloves. I stopped for a well earned ice cream before my next site at Ilton where I found lots of Alpine Cotula alongside a moorland track. It was time for Chips in Thirsk before my last site at Gormire lake, but I was a little late in the season as the tufted loostrife had pretty much finished flowering and I made it back to the car before the rain started and headed home after a long but fruitful day.

Chips Westgate Chip Shop, Thirsk - Haggis, Chips Mushy Peas - 7.5/10

I headed to the Peterborough area the visit Swaddywell Pit somewhere I had been meaning to go for ages. Weather was good but a bit breezy but still plenty of insects of interest and a nice selection of plants. A nice reserve and I had it to myself and a nice way to spend a couple of hours. I stopped for a few Elms on the way home Narrow leaved, Long Tailed, Curve Leaved and Jagged leaved, a nice relaxing evening.

Friday 3rd - Blustery Brecks

A quick look in the Brecks before work produced a few ladybirds the pick the orange form of the pointed keeled ladybird. It was quite blustery so difficult to find insects so I did not see too much apart from a couple of hairy shieldbugs and a fairy ringed longhorn beetle. and a few butterflies, some Henbane was a nice find. After work I headed to the Lee Valley where Andrew Jewel had caught a Dusky or Heath Scymnus Ladybird, but we are still struggling to work out which.

I headed west for the day, my first stop was along the river at Tewkesbury where tasteless water pepper and greater dodder in the drizzle. Then to Highnam Woods for Upright spurge in light drizzle. I made it to the Forest of Dean dodging the showers while having a look at a few sites plenty of ravens and mandarins the pick of the birds. I met up with Ben and we headed to Mallards Pike for a wander mainly for plants with a nice array of the common species but some nice skullcap of note.
Then we visited a local contact of Ben's who had a puss moth caterpillar they had found so we took a look at this amazing creature. We searched an area for nightjars and managed to locate a roosting nightjar but it was obscured so not photographable, but still nice to see.
After an Ice cream we took a wander round Nagshead but could not find any pied flycatchers. Time for Chips and dippers, an adult and a juvenile showing well as we ate our chips. Then we tried to see wild boar and we found a lone youngster which showed well.
Lastly it was nightjars and we watched at least 3 nightjars along with a fallow deer and a couple of woodcock. I headed home as the heavens opened with only a barn owl of note.

Chips - Blakeney Chip Inn, Blakeney - Fish and Chips 8/10