Sunday Segedunum Skylarks singing.

We moved back home after the flood of "Thundery Thursday" June 14th finally two weeks ago and i have been so busy i have been unable to get out birding. It's been like moving into a new house not moving back to the old one. Early Sunday morning at first light i headed up to the Rising Sun for the first time in a few weeks passing calling Dunnocks, busy House Sparrows and numerous Blackbirds on the way. I took time out on the top of the old pit heap to see if i could espy an Owl, be it  Short-eared or Little but had no sighting of either but my spirits soared despite the biting wind with the sound of Skylarks singing from a number of locations on the ground. I couldn't see any of the birds and with the noise of the wind couldn't actually decide how many were calling but there was at least three. Eventually the wind finally took its' toll and i quickly beat a retreat heading towards the hide on the main waggonway. I didn't see the Bittern in the 45 minutes or so that i spent there but had a very good consolation in the form of the company of ace birder Joe and the craic was good. Nothing exceptional while there but a Sparrowhawk kept us alert as the gulls kept lifting, Joe having mentioned that the gulls had reacted that way on a few occasions when he had seen the Bittern. I checked bird guides later but it was noted that the bird had not been reported at all yesterday. Although not confirmed it was mentioned that there was a possibility of there being two birds of this species hanging about Swallow Pond but then it is just a possibility at this time.
Nothing much to report around the rest of the country park to be honest but it was nice to bump into the Red Stag just before i left. Slightly worrying though as people were trying to feed it and he was approaching to within a metre of these folk. I have a feeling they may have fed him before as they seemed to know he had a soft spot for what looked like cabbage and he was enjoying it. I always worry when wildlife starts to interact with humans. That reminds me, i did spot a Fox circumnavigating the pit heap on arrival. I did check the mouth for any sign of human appendages but none were seen. Yes, wildlife and humans mixing only means trouble and we know only too well the the poor animals will come off worse.

Red Stag at the Rising Sun, getting too close for my comfort. Antlers covered in velvet.