Great Knowley and Yarrow Valley Park etc

[Leonard Poxon]

Yesterday (30.09.11) at Great Knowley there was a party of 18 Long Tailed Tits that briefly came into the back garden as they worked their way along the boundary between the former quarry and the housing estate. There were also a slow trickle of migrating passerines from north to south including a party of 8 or so Chaffinch.
Today there were also a few groups including a pair of Bullfinches and possibly a flock of Siskin also passing north to south over the estate and a single Swallow.
Butterflys today include Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma and again what appeared to be a single Small Copper.
I saw a single House Martin in Coppull yesterday and a group of 3 Goldfinch.
Managed to drive the car at last yesterday for the first time since I ruptured my achilles tendon in July. Today I made my first 'nature' walk at Yarrow Valley Park. Unfortunately very little of note was seen. No sign of Water Rail or Snipe on the top lodge and no birdlife at all at the weir.
Birds seen/heard include Robin, Nuthach. Blue, Great & LT Tits, 2 adult Mute Swan and 2 immature on big lodge, with 8 Coot, 47 BH gulls, a waterhen, 2 Great Crested Grebe and numerous Mallard. Heron on Top Lodge and several noisy Jays.
Only a single Speckled Wood butterfly.