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I am so excited about my new camera trap that arrived this weekend. We have tried it in the common, the shed and our garden so far. We have already captured a video of our neighbour's cat in the dark!

Had a cracking morning leading a nature walk along the river Ayr way fron Catrine to Sorn.

I love these Welsh poppies and they are now in full flower here in North Wales, lots of them around our house.

It looks like Mrs Blackbird has been successful in the shed, she has 4 fledglings who keep getting up on the edge of the nest to test out their wings. It looks like they might be ready to fly any day now; very exciting. We were worried the swallows might be put off nesting in the shed with the blackbird in there this year, but they are happily going in and out getting one of the nests ready by the look of it. There were 3 swallows all sat together on the beam by the nest the other evening ready to roost.

Are you ready to go wild in June. Sign up for 30 days wild, I have.

Yesterday I had some work to do on NCN7 between Irvine and Troon. As well as chasing countless butterflies to try to get a good photo to tweet with info about our upcoming butterfly ID & surveying course there, I took the time to remind myself of flowers I recognised from last year's season. This is a little flower that grows alongside roadside and routeside verges and is said to be a good luck charm for travellers; in Ireland it was sometimes sewn into the lining of the clothes of those making a journey. It's called Germander Speedwell. Which would also be the name I would use if I were a filmstar. Just saying.

Tuesday brought another sunny National Cycle Network volunteer workday - removing some stronger ruderal plants that were taking over a wildflower area on NCN768 at Tillicoultry ("near Stirling" :)). Determined to learn a new species, I relied on my ecologist colleague to point out the difference between dock and burdock...both being big-leaved and insanely hard to get out the ground without snapping the root. But burdock was hairier underneath, with rhubarby stringy stems and cabbagey young leaves. Which saved me trying to identify the fat white beetle grub that made an appearance too...