Delighted to spot this shy juvenile grey partridge this morning in a sweep of mayweed in #Clackmannanshire . It is one of our most threatened farmland birds and is on the Red List of Birds of Conservation concern, the UK population having fallen by around 90% since the late 1960s

A lobster eyes me up from its lair at Elie in the East Neuk of Fife

Plenty of butterflies on a hike up Ben Buck, followed by Ben Ever in the Ochils yesterday, including this stunning dark green fritillary feeding on wild thyme

This lesser weever was a good find when snorkelling at Elie earlier this week. It is venomous with a very painful sting should an unwary bather step upon one. They spend most of their time buried in the sand with only the eyes and tip of the dorsal fin exposed, and as such, are seldom seen

The sea conditions were so benign when snorkelling at Elie yesterday that I managed to snap this rather unusual shot of a shoal of sandeels which were reflected in the top half of the photo by the mirror-calm water surface

Snorkelling through an underwater garden - a wonderful mirror-calm sea at Elie in #Fife this morning, with a vast array of seaweeds including sea lettuce and mermaid's tresses, along with sparkling shoals of young saithe

An afternoon spent playing hide-and-seek with elusive and flighty small pearl-bordered fritillaries in the #Ochils eventually brought the reward of this wee stunner

Ptarmigan are the masters of concealment and just by chance I spotted this one hunkered down on a high plateau above Glen Ey in the #Cairngorms a couple of days ago. I wonder how many others I passed-by without realising they were there!

It was wonderful to hear the evocative, flute-like calls of golden plovers in the Cairngorms yesterday that drifted across the air like a haunting lament

Cracking weather for a hike in the southern Cairngorms today, taking in three summits as I sought out ptarmigan and golden plover, which will feature shortly in my nature column in the Press & Journal and Courier. Temperature was 21 degrees C at 3,000ft!

Thrilled to glimpse this spotted flycatcher on an early morning walk in woodland by the edge of the Ochils. Sadly, this beautiful summer visitor has declined by up to 90% since the late 1960s and is on the UK Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern

A wee stunner of a red-backed shrike looking out for beetles and crickets to swoop down upon from its hunting perch on the island of Korcula

Oooh, I do like a nice cuttlefish - and it was great to find this charismatic fella in a seagrass meadow in Croatia last week. Related to the octopus and squid, they are one of our most intelligent invertebrates

When snorkelling, it's often worth diving under and taking a peek under rock cavities on the seabed to see what might be lurking - such as this fabulous octopus peering out from its lair by the island of Korcula

A swallow takes a well-earned rest on the roof of a local barn from the chores of feeding its chicks

A fabulous drift of mountain pansies in the #Ochils

A brown hare relaxing in a field near my home. The pioneering 18th century naturalist, Thomas Pennant, noted that 'the hare is endued, in a very distinguished degree, with that preserving passion, fear: this makes it perpetually attentive to every alarm, and keeps it always lean'

The jay is one of our most colourful, yet secretive, birds. This wee beauty in my local wood.

An unusually profuse flush of water avens in Glendevon. They were historically used in herbal medicine to treat digestive complaints and in folklore were believed to repel evil spirits

An osprey soars over a loch in Angus earlier this week

The ultimate way to de-stress is to go for a wee snorkel in a hill pond in the Ochils

Delighted to participate in a question-and-answer session with excellent host Vikki Reilly at a reading event at the Fruitmarket in central #Edinburgh , organised by Publishing Scotland, on my book Wild Edinburgh. Book is available in bookshops and online sellers

There were plenty of palmate newts about when I dipped my head under the surface with snorkel and mask of this upland pond in the Ochils

An enjoyable time and a great turnout at Brechin City Hall this afternoon where I gave a talk on my forthcoming book ‘Where a Cold Light Falls’, following the AGM of the community group, Brechin & District U3A. Here, with the outgoing Chair Christine Brown, and newly elected chair, Bill Simpson

Beneath the tranquil surface of this upland pond in the Ochils where I went snorkelling yesterday, there were fearsome battles of life and death going-on. Here, a predatory damselfly nymph has caught a tadpole, a meal which will probably sustain it for a considerable period

Meadow saxifrage is extremely scarce in the Forth Valley area of Scotland, but this wee cluster by the River Devon in #Clackmannanshire thrives, and is expanding each year #wildflowerhour

Bog monster - a fascinating afternoon snorkelling in a hill pond in the Ochils, photographing palmate newts and dragonfly nymphs for one of my future nature columns for the Press & Journal and The Courier

A snorkelling trip to Elie in #Fife brought a close encounter with this lion's mane jellyfish

This wee hermit crab was happy to pose for the camera during a recent snorkelling trip to Elie in #Fife

Great to find this brown hare yesterday. The naturalist Frances Pitt once noted: “The hare presents an interesting study in psychology. Its character is a curious mixture of extreme timidity and boldness, of rashness and suspicion, of cunning and of the most fragrant silliness”.

A tawny owlet grounded by the bankside of the River Devon. It was perfectly ok, but had flown from its nest without having mastered the art of flying. With its mum watching from a nearby tree, I moved it a few yards to a safer position out of reach of dogs and ground predators

The flower of a marsh violet is tiny, yet it packs a mighty punch for exquisite beauty when seen up close. This wee beauty on an upland bog in southern Perthshire #wildflowerhour

This wee fella has been a regular visitor to our garden in the past few weeks. Over last 25 years, hedgehog populations have plummeted by up to 75% in rural areas and are red-listed as vulnerable to extinction in Britain

Hare raising - and one of the iconic sights of spring. It was wonderful to witness these courting brown hares near Braco in Perthshire earlier this week - the so-called ‘Mad March Hares’ - although their frolicking antics continue well into summe

Any chance of a lift mum? A mother goosander takes her youngsters for a ride on the River Devon in #Clackmannanshire

I found this sea hare when snorkelling at Elie in Fife a few days ago. It is a mollusc, but has no external shell, and when threatened by a predator, the animal releases a purple cloud of ink combined with a milky mix of chemicals that confuses the attacker

One of the best bits about being a trustee of Forth Rivers Trust is seeing their incredible conservation work. Here, yesterday, with some of the amazing Trust team at the Knoxfauld Farm Peatland Restoration Project, which has revitalised this precious upland bog

Most mountain pansies in the #Ochils in #Scotland are purple, but in one wee glen, yellow or intermediate ones occur, such as this wee stunner today #wildflowerhour

Sometimes when snorkelling at Elie in Fife something truly magical happens - here, in this selfie with my relaxed new pal, a beautiful young grey sea

It is easy to take for granted wildlife that is common and ubiquitous – which is a mistake, for there is surely no more beautiful bird than the chaffinch, a stunning beauty with a wonderful rollicking spring song. This wee cracker in my local wood

A garden warbler in full song by the River Devon in #Clackmannanshire . It might just be a local thing, but these lovely songsters seem more abundant this year compared to previous years

First mallard ducklings of the year on the River Devon this morning

A linnet enjoying the sunshine near St Abbs Head in #Berwickshire last week

A walk this morning by the River Devon in #Clackmannanshire brought the reward of this handsome otter

A sweep of sea campion and thrift on the clifftops at St Abbs #Berwickshire #wildflowerhour

Cuckoo-flower adorned with an orange-tip butterfly on the haugh of the River Devon #Clackmannanshire #wildflowerhour

A drift of thrift on the sea cliffs at St Abbs

A goldfinch on its song perch at St Abbs this afternoon

Wow, this is so amazing, gannets now in the process of a forming a new breeding colony on a rock stack off St Abbs in Berwickshire this afternoon. An overspill from the major colony on the Bass Rock further north, it is brilliant to see these special birds spreading their wings

A mist-laden River Devon dawn yesterday morning