Brown Hares on show

 Good to see decent numbers of Brown Hares in the fields bordering Beeley Moor, they appear to spend most of the day asleep in the grass so presumably feeding at night.

Brown Hare

An small influx of Common Crossbill and Siskin in recent days. I had 30 crossbill in 40 Acre Plantation having only seen 2 or 3 during the summer months.

Meadow Pipit numbers are starting to build up as birds start to move south having bred to the north of us.

Brown Hares active at last

I've mentioned before that, locally at least, the Brown Hares disappear in to the woodlands over the winter and I therefore have very few sightings between November and February but with the Spring like weather they have returned to the fields during the last week and several animals put on a fine show in this mornings sunshine.
First Curlew calling on the moor this morning!

Brown Hare

Brown Hare photos

I've just returned from a couple of weeks away but Ken sent me these photos just before I left and they are particularly nice portraits  of a local Brown Hare at Rowsley.

Brown Hare (c.Ken Smith)

Brown Hare youngster - Beeley Moor

I've seen this young Brown Hare several times this week and finally managed some photos in decent light.

Brown Hare youngster

Brown Hare on a wall

You can see a lot of wildlife perched on the dry stone walls but Brown Hares are not generally in that group.

Brown Hare

Brown Hare - Leveret

Ken photographed this young Brown Hare back in April on Beeley Moor. This youngsters can't be very old.

Brown Hare leveret (Ken Smith)

Brown Hare - sheltering from the wind

Although it was a clear sky this morning it was very windy on the moor and cold. Ken pointed out a couple of Brown Hare hunkered down in one of the fields bordering the moor. For both of us, these are the first hares we have seen since the autumn. I think they spend most of their time in wooded areas over the winter and are therefore much less likely to be seen.

Brown Hare

Brown Hare at dusk

As I returned from the Barn Owls at around 10pm I came across a confiding Brown Hare which made a nice shot with the last of the evening light on his whiskers.

Brown Hare

Hare kiss

James was out early this morning and photographed these two youngsters.

A good friend Richard Hart has pointed out that my blog post 'Rabbit kiss' is actually 'Hare kiss'! Apologies to James who originally sent me the photo as hares but I changed it to rabbit. As Richard said 'the black in the fur and black-tipped ears suggest Hare, as does the jizz'.

Hare (James Butler)

Wet Hare day

I don't think this Hare was any happier about the weather than I was. It appeared to spend most of the day asleep or at least dozing.

Brown Hare

Brown Hare boxing

Well, perhaps more playing tag. It really takes two to box I think.

Brown Hare

Brown Hare and dandelions

Early this morning I came across three Brown Hares feeding in this field of dandelions. There is a tendency to think that the walled fields enclose the hares but one of the party showed how easy it is for them to move from field to field.

Brown Hare

Early morning Brown Hare

Cold enough to freeze a Hares whiskers this morning at 6am. Although the Hare didn't appear to be particularly bothered. Heard 3 singing male Pied Flycatchers at Chatsworth in the early morning before encountering the Hare.

Brown Hare

Brown Hare, first for a while

Not seen much Brown Hare activity recently but I had brief views of this one on Flash Lane this morning.

Brown Hare

Leveret

No sign of the Osprey today but I came across my first leveret of the year, also Wheatear on Beeley Moor which is my first for a while.

Brown Hare - leveret

Brown Hare

Spent some more time with the Hares this morning, they are very active at the moment. Otherwise saw my first Garden Warblers at Clough Wood today and first Emperor Moth on the moors.

Brown Hare

Brown Hare - relaxing

Nice to encounter a Brown Hare today that wasn't immediately running away at high speed.

Brown Hare

Hare with icy whiskers

It was certainly cold when I left the house at 6:30am, it read -3 on the thermometer and from the look of it this Hare was finding it cold as well!

Hare in the woods

The local Hares are difficult to see during the winter and it may be that they spend more time in the forested areas rather than the open fields and are therefore more easily overlooked. I had just started to see one or two in the fields prior to the snow, this individual was quite happily feeding in the wood but it was impossible to get a clear view.

Brown Hare

Brown Hare surprised

Not sure who was the most surprised when this Brown Hare appeared next to me whilst watching the Wood Warbler.

Brown Hare