If there was to be negativity for Day 18 it could only come from my step counter complaining that I hadn’t done my daily “dozen” for on this day. The sun slowed my pace to just short of “bimbling” as I paused at almost each step to see what these rays of light were doing to revitalise our wildlife.

Now I always say it doesn’t matter what the weather is, for I will usually turn out, even on foggy days, for I can still hear the wild getting on with its survival.

I must admit that the sun does make a positive difference, I’m sure all would agree with this, especially as I watched the barn owl, dry winged for once, catch a vole for its young. The male yellow wagtail flew to the top of a tree, to soak up the sun and a bee filled its shopping bags with pollen. Then a painted lady butterfly simply sat solar panel-like and absorbed the sun.

Then as I gave my new sunglasses an airing I heard a quail calling from the adjacent wheat crop - it stayed in cover, they always do. This must surely indicate a change in the weather, as this bird will have finished its breeding season in Spain and has arrived on our moss to take advantage of our summer to create a second family.

A buzzard “mewed” its plaintive call from a sun-filled sky, whilst an oystercatcher sat quietly on its nest. Unlike the female teal which, on seeing me pass by the patch of reed-fringed water on which it had hidden its young, did her very best to distract me and lead me away from them. I happily obliged.

The sun still persisted and offered me the flight of four-spotted chaser dragonfly, cinnabar moths and, a sign of renewal, when I found a pair of azure damselfly mating. This assured me that, whatever, nature throws at us from its weather department, the WILD will do its very best to survive.