With news of the albatross roosting at Bempton Cliffs RSPB I headed there overnight, 3 badgers at Bar Hill whiel stopping for fuel and a fox cub nr Bridlington. I slept a bit in the car, when I woke at 4.30 all the cars were empty and I made my way down to the cliffs where everyone else was assembled, but no sign. It was cold, windy with intermittent rain showers. I passed the time looking and chatting to people before I headed back to the car for a drink, the call came out that it was back and I headed back. It was pretty chaotic as the bird was very mobile but eventually I was at one of the viewpoints when the black browed albatross landed on the cliff for a while showing very nicely. After having my fill I headed to the car for a drink and headed off popping into Goremire lake for a quick look at tufted loostrife before heading for some lunch. I had a kip and headed home.

Chips - Land and Sea, Thirsk - Battered Chip Butty, Onion rings 8/10

I was in Mid wales for first light with a few stops for northern yellowcress and wood bitter vetch which had unfortunately gone to seed. It was then to the coast to find the geographically restricted Chater's Elm. I did a few touristy things before heading to Bristol stopping for some danewort alongside a road. Here I tracked down a silky wave moth in the Avon gorge to finish the day.

A leisurely start to Norfolk with only a couple of targets so the rest of the day would be free to do anything, I found the first target narrow leaved pepperwort easily but in a tricky to access spot alongside a fast road. Next stop was less successful but I did get some chips. Then it was off to Hickling to see the collared pratincole which was always distant both in flight and on the deck. There was a good supporting cast of bittern, spoonbill, black winged stilt, wood, green and curlew sandpipers, chinese water deer and a nice weasel on the way home.

I was a day late for the Roller due to car service etc. but it was still showing very well when I visited after work. I popped to Ramparts field to see the maidens pinks just starting to flower in reasonable numbers and the Russian cinquefoil doing very well.

I nipped to Northants for the evening to Irthlingborough lakes where I had been given a bit of information about a couple of plants I was after I quickly found the sand leeks along with Balkan spurge. I headed to the Lock where damselflies were plentiful red eyed and banded demoiselles, but I was here for the Long stalked pondweed which was quite abundant.

A day out in Kent and Sussex with James Hunter started at his where he had a few moths to see Spruce carpet, varied coronet, birdswing. First stop was at Ranscombe farm which is always a delight to visit the highlight here was finally rough mallow something I had not been able to find before, the whole place was awash with wonderful plants including plenty of orchids Bee Orchid var Cambrensis next stop was Stockbridge where Broad leaved helleborine was alost in flower, along with common twayblade, lady and lesser butterfly orchids which were going over. We made a quick stop for Lizard orchid before heading into Sussex to see the cracking spiked rampion which was flowering nicely. The weather was perfect for insects and our next stop Souther farm was full of them Dark green Fritillary, Adonis blue, Painted lady, Silver Y, Scarce Forester. Last stop for an Orchid fest Man, Pyramidal and fragrantand a nice lace border moth as well to finish off the day.

A very early start and I was at Ullswater to see Alpine enchanters nightshade which was just coming into flower. I headed to Meathorp Moss for a wander round a little early for insects but the bog asphodels were coming into flower and a nice cuckoo was present. As it warmed up I headed to nearby Fowlshaw Moss and the insects had started to move, a large heath always too far from the boardwalk but the white faced darters were more obliging. The ospreys were on the nest and tree sparrows on the feeders of note. I headed to Storth to meet up with the Wildflower Society for a walk. We spent the whole day here and had a great selection of plants the highlights were Narrow leaved bittercress, marsh Fern

Chips - North Road Chippy, Carnforth - Burger and Chips 8/10

I found a Bee orchid on my little nature reserve along with a few new plants celery leaved buttercup, wintercress, goatsbeard and I caught a red tipped clearwing one afternoon.

I headed to Whitstable for a quick look at London Rocket before heading to Sandwich Bay to see the Dainty Damselflies on the organised event. It was very hot but the hundreds of damselflies behaved for the camera. A look at another area produced red veined and ruddy darters. I took a look for some insects on the beach but no luck but did see the bedstraw broomrape and lizard orchids. I headed to Herne Bay for a quick look at some strawberry clover and headed for home via a quick stop in Greenhithe for the yellow form of ivy broomrape.

I have a permit to do some trapping at Cranwich Camp and Cranwich heath but due to the weather have not managed any trapping but tonight I headed to Cranwich Camp for some trapping. I have plenty of time before hand to walk round to see the plants, plenty of Spanish catchfly, purple milk vetch, Purple stemmed cat's tail but also a couple of day flying moths tawny wave and broad barred white. The trapping went well with a good haul of 49 species including pine hawkmoth, marbled clover, Clouded Buff, birdwing, Cream spot tiger, Brindled white spot, tawny barred angled, ingrailed clay.

Chips - Lakenheath Chip Shop, Lakenheath - Saveloy and Chips 8/10

I had a quick evening trip out Stuart Read to see some local plants, clustered clover, knotted clover, slender trefoil, grass vetchling and a nice white legged damselfly.

I was at Ham Wall for 6am and wandered to where the river warbler was, plenty of other warblers along the way reed, sedge, garden, cetti's, whitethroat and blackcap. The River warbler showed very nicely, and a barn owl passed by and several great white egrets were flying round regularly. Homeward bound I made a quick stop for Thread leaved water crowfoot before my final destination to see Adder's-tongue Spearwort which was flowering very nicely and in good numbers. Almost home I made a quick stop to look for 4 spot moth and found one pretty quickly.

I was on the Lizard for first light, first targets were Land Quilwort, which after some hard searching I finally located. My next stop was for clovers I located long headed clover and subterranean clover but could not find any twin headed clover, but there was plenty of nice stuff to see including painted lady, whistling jacks, sheeps bit, Pepperwort. I headed to Devon via a pasty shop, a quick stop at Berry Head was for small restharrow which was flowering nicely, the honewort and white rock rose were starting to go over but the coastal floral display was still excellent. I headed off to Dunsford to try to find toadflax leaved St john's wort I had no information as to its location in the reserve so it was a case of exploring until I found the right habitat and this was the last area I checked. A search produced a few plants but only on in flower. The reserve was teeming with bank voles I saw at least a dozen or so along with a common shrew and some Bastard balm. Heading north I stopped along a farm track to see the rather funky Pyrenean lily which was flowering in good numbers. I crossed Exmoor, ponies and a roe deer spotted before I reached Watersmeet, No parking whitebeam and a pied flycatcher were nice to see but the light was fading and I did not have all the information I needed to find Irish spurge but after a few messages I got the details I needed and found it but it was tricky to photograph in the gloom. Some Daubenton's bats were hawking over the river and that was going to be all for the day.

I popped to Cambridge to check on the Peregrine family, two advanced chicks almost ready to fledge were showing nicely. I made a quick check on the Italian Lords and ladies which was flowering but the dry weather it was just going over.

Teesdale for the morning and cracking views of a short eared owl along with some nice plants, teesdale sandwort, teesdale violet, dwarf milkwort, mountain pansy, moonwort, alpine bistort. As I left the area I spotted some black grouse. My last stop was in Derbyshire where at Lathkill Dale I found the lovely Jacobs ladder, bringing my trip to an end and I headed home.

Moths highlight was an Ochreous Pug. Then I headed to Blyth again for more of the Red Necked Stint. I left to do a bit of a walk round Hauxley nature reserve, bullfinch of note and plenty of northern marsh orchids. I headed to Amble for the trip round Coquet Island to see the Roseate terns along with a nice selection of common seabirds. I headed to Seal Sands to see the common seals and the scarce blue barked willow.

Chips - Quayside cafe, Amble - Fish bites and chips 8/10

Only a few moths in the trap and nothing of note, so I headed to Tarn Moss to meet up with the BSBI group, here we were looking for sedges and boy did we see some species. We moved to Eyncotthill for lunch and a wander for more sedges. Highlights were Brown, boreal bog, bottle, few flowered sedges. Plenty of frogs and a wall brown were nice to see. I headed to Grinton Lough for the red necked phalarope but it was nowhere to be seen, I headed for some chips when I saw news of the Red necked stint at Blyth, so I headed there making it before it got too dark and had some nice views.

Chips - Dhillons, Prudhoe - Spam Fritter, Chips and Peas 8/10

I headed over to the Yorkshire dales starting at Chapel le Dale I headed upto Southerscales to the Limestone pavement, here I found Baneberry, limestone fern, limestone bedstraw to name a few species. The afternoon was spent on Ingleborough which was awash with bird's eye primrose and plenty of other nice plants such as mossy saxifrage but I was after Arctic sandwort and I found a few nice patches. Last stop was Fowlshaw Moss where a brief white faced darter was the insect pick, the distant ospreys were in residence on their nest. Time for some chips and moth trapping.

CHips - Old Smithy, Barrow - Fish, Chips and Peas 9/10

I had a few hours on Lindesfarne, some nice eider families, but my main targets were dwaft eelgrass and I found it with common eelgrass on the shore. I then took a trip round the farne Islands, you cannot land at the moment but the trips go round all the islands and you get reasonable views of most species. I did some touristy things and called it a night.

Chips - Carlo's, Alnwick - Haggis and CHips 8.5/10

A rather leisurely start and some touristy stops as I drove through Glencoe to Aberfeldy, here I tried to find spignel and found plenty but none in flower, I took a wander up the Birks of Aberfeldy to find Northern Wych Elm and I found several nice examples along with a nice selection of flowers including wavy bittercress. A brief stop for alpine dock before a wander round Loch Leven.

Today I headed to Glenfinnan and my target to climb Fraoch Bheinn where at the summit would hopefully be Diapensia would be in flower. I was a little worried as other plants were well behind, but hopefully alpine plants are less fickle. Loads of white heath spotted orchids on the way up which was continually up. At the summit there was plenty of Diapensia in flower along with lots of trailing azalea. I headed down and headed to Caol for some lunch by the Loch, then tried Inchree for red squirrels but the tourists were causing so much disturbance. I headed over the Corran Ferry to look for Otters but had no luck with them and no black guillemots on the pier but found one on the sea.

Chips - Sammy's, Caol - Haggis and Chips 7.5/10