Easter 'Bunny'

To put the record straight, the original Easter Bunny was not supposed to be a rabbit but a hare. Hares are mostly commonly seen in the spring as the males energetically pursue the females. Their hormone driven pursuits have given rise to the phrase 'Mad as a March Hare'. If you have ever watched a male hare catch the scent of a female you will see how they become possessed and it is a common sight watching them sniff along the ground in pursuit during the Spring.

Hares were believed to lay eggs, which was probably a case of mistaken identity with Lapwing nests which share the same open field habitat. However, I suspect the giving of eggs at Easter has more to do with a symbol of fertility and renewal.

At this time of year hares will often sit up, as shown in the following photograph, presumably to give them a better view as the look out for females.

I love to photograph hares throughout the year. In fact my preference is actually to photograph them in late summer when the bird photography is poor and hares much more relaxed.  The only relaxed hare in the Spring is one that is taking the time to groom its fur. The one below was having a quiet moment.

Once the scent of a female is picked up a hare will follow it anywhere including across roads. Fortunately at the site where I photograph them traffic is virtually non-existent which is just as well as they will often pause mid-way across to try and get a better bearing on the direction of the scent trail. Obviously if there was traffic the consequences of this behaviour could be deadly.

Whatever they are doing they are wonderfully enigmatic animals and its worth taking some time to go out and look for them in the Spring which offers your best chance of seeing them. Unfortunately they are also a species which is under a great deal of pressure in the UK and one that is sadly in decline. However, on there side are a number of organisations such as the Hare Preservation Trust. Our countryside would be a much poorer place without them.

So I will finish this post with an image of Spring as a hare runs past a patch of daffodils and wish you all a happy and peaceful Easter break.

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Close Encounters of the Hare Kind

As the end of the year approaches, I like to get all my photographs finished off and backed up so I can have a fresh start in the New Year. I have been working through the last of my hare images, taken earlier in the year. A reminder of warm gentle days as the hail swirls under gale force winds under black skies outside. For example a hare running through the fallen blossom of late spring.

Or feeding on the lush growth of mid-summer.

During my hare photography this year I have had some very close encounters with these shy animals. The most memorable of these moments was lying down for about 30 minutes one evening next to a female hare while she quietly grazed. There was no doubt that the hare knew I was there, but given my prolonged and careful approach, it had decided I presented no threat and carried on feeding. An intimate memorable moment spent with a special animal. Below is one of those photos from that moment.

I have encountered a couple of young hares along the way which are hilarious to watch on occasions with their rather uncoordinated antics.

This one get coming closer and closer, looking rather inquisitive, until all I could get in frame was a head photo.

Watching me, watching you, watching me.

Some early morning fur maintenance. As hares do not use burrows they spend a lot of time grooming their coat to keep it in good condition to repel all the weather throws at them.

Thought I was suffering from double vision for a moment from getting out of bed too early.

This one probably recognises me from a previous encounter.

So I will finish off my hares for this year with one giving me the 'eye'. Their is spring madness just waiting to be unleashed behind that eye.

I hope the selection of hare posts I have made during 2011 have given you as much pleasure as I have had in taking the photos. I take away many fond memories of having the priviledge of sharing moments of their world.

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Chilled Hares

I love to photograph Brown Hares during the late summer. This is a quiet time of year for bird photography as many birds are going through their annual moult and not looking very photogenic and so the hares provide a good diversion to keep the camera busy.

During the late summer the hares are very relaxed, with the hormone fuelled madness of spring subsided, and they are busy feeding on the abundant vegetation to build themselves up for the winter ahead.

Those long hazy warm summer days of childhood no longer seem to exist, no doubt partly as a result of a changing climate and the main weather feature of August now seems to be rain....lots of rain! Even so there are still brief occasions when the sun shines and by keeping a close eye on the weather and my camera close to hand I try and make the most of the brief sunny spells either before or after work.

Despite having spent more hours than I would like to count in the company of hares it was not until the other day that I realised how long their eyelashes are. It's interesting how a slightly different perspective can reveal features that you have previously missed.

The other benefit of pursuing hares at this time of year is that there is a good chance of encountering leverets and young hares which always seem to have a degree of inquisitiveness about them. All part of the survival learning process.

For me this last photograph of this post sums up the summer hare and as the old song goes .... 'Summer time and the livin' is easy'.

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