My #30DaysWild has ended with a cracking day at Cosmeston. Not only did I spot my first Gatekeeper butterfly for 2018, I also spent time watching one of the local Water voles for the first time this year. And then, to top it all off, I happened to be talking to the wife of one of my birding friends when he phoned her from the other end of the park to say he’d just spotted a Cuckoo.

Very obligingly, the Cuckoo hung around while I hightailed it to where it had last been seen … and, in fact, it was still there several hours later.

I’ve heard Cuckoos several times now and had a brief glimpse of one flying but, as Cuckoos don’t breed in my part of south Wales, this was the first time I was able to have a good look at one. (This bird was probably just making a brief stopover at Cosmeston on its way south to Africa.)

And what a beautiful bird it is, with stunning markings, and much bigger than I had thought.

What a magical end to my June wildness this was! But, of course, being ‘wild’ doesn’t just happen in June. Spending time exploring the natural world and its wildlife is what keeps me sane and brings joy to my life, and sharing that joy is why I write this blog.