On the trail

A cheerful party of walkers today set out to walk along Brook Trail from Brook Bridge, but had not left the stone parapet of the bridge before they realised it was crawling with ladybirds and their nymphs. Unhappily most appeared to be the invasive Harlequin Ladybird, though one native Seven-Spot was among them. Further on there were distant glimpses or sounds of Jays and a Grey Wagtail. Near Dancing Bridge one of the valley's rarer flowers, Water Chickweed, was still in flower  - George