Final fling?

Today we caught the bus to the opposite side of the city and had a wander by the banks of Rother on a Country Park that used to be Orgreave Coking Plant. Some may remember the notorious Battle of Orgreave during the miners' strike of 1984. The area looks very different now and is one of the best local sites for rare birds. Sadly we didn't see any today - but there were plenty of Canada geese, great-crested grebe, pochard and tufted duck, and cormorants and a sparrowhawk overhead. There have been sightings reported of a ring-necked duck but apart from an odd shaped head and a pale ring on its bill (not its neck) it is hard to distinguish from a tuftie. There was a huge patch of Michaelmas daisies by the river, and we were delighted to see not only this Red Admiral, but also a Comma enjoying the autumn sunshine and the bounty of the late-flowering plants.