At about
half-past seven this morning, DH looked idly out of the bathroom window and
noticed that we had another visitor in the field below the house. It was definitely
not the hare who took a nap near the house a couple of weeks ago, being noticeably
bigger and stronger-looking. We watched with delight as he had breakfast, before
loping casually round the corner of the barn and out of sight. Two visits from
a hare in as many weeks made our day from the very start.
 |
| Breakfast time (still from video) |
 |
| Aren't I handsome? |
Imagine our
surprise then to see him back in the yard as I went to make lunch at about
12.30. Two hours later he was still there, stretched out on his side and
basking luxuriantly in the warm spring sunshine. Now, at 5pm, as the sun starts to disappear behind the clouds, he has finally woken up and is meditatively
nibbling a spot of afternoon tea, only feet from the front wheels of the very
small campervan (did I happen to mention that the former farmyard is a trifle
overgrown?)
Sadly I doubt he has
taken up permanent residence with us, but DH and I are thrilled to bits that he
feels safe and comfortable enough to have spent a whole afternoon not ten yards
from our kitchen window.
Postscript: After much discussion and scrutinising of the photos, DH now thinks that the hare in the field in the top two images was a female as she was much bigger. The Hare Preservation Trust has confirmed in an email that in hares the female is bigger than the male. Our afternoon visitors (one or more individuals) were smaller and more probably male. So we have had at least two different hares visiting us, which is even more exciting, as we had yet another visit for a nap and a nibble the next afternoon.
 |
| It's nice and comfy here |
 |
| There's nothing like a good long sun-bathe.... |
 |
Gosh, that was a nice nap!
|
Oh, he is adorable. Such a privilege to enjoy his company on a beautiful late spring day.
ReplyDeleteWe are still thrilled on a daily basis at the three geldings in the field next to us, and the cheeky squirrels who exercise on the assault course of all the bird feeders in our garden, and the ones set up next door and beyond, in the mornings. And of course all the winged visitors they attract, especially various brightly-coloured types of finch.
This has been a wonderful few days. Sadly there are likely to be rain showers tomorrow, as we are setting off over to Lincolnshire to meet up with an old friend and neighbour of Barty's from when "he were a lad" in Herts. We aren't staying over as their dof is fourteen so even older and grumpier than The Dog, and couldn't tolerate a stange canine on her manor. We will be driving back in the evening.
Isn't he wonderful? We've been enjoying ourselves so much. :-) When I'd published this post at 7.40 I looked out of the window again and saw that he'd finally left after a good 5 hours!
DeleteI can well imagine how much you enjoy watching your furred and feathered visitors. We watch squirrels in the trees quite often, though we have no bird feeders for them to raid and of course no horses in the fields around us.
Safe journey tomorrow and enjoy your trip, but make sure you wrap up as the temperature is likely to be halved tomorrow. Sigh....
Or has O'Hare airport migrated from Chicago? How marvellous - what a privelege to have a visitor like that. I do hope he becomes a permanent resident.
ReplyDeleteIt's been amazing to watch him today, really making himself at home and taking advantage of such a sheltered spot. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled for further visits, I can tell you....
DeleteOh wonderful! I was equally thrilled to see several hares running away from the little road that leads from our village into Alcala when we first moved in - proper March ones, obviously - but they were always so fast and disappeared into the fields beyond. You have some fantastic shots here - what a poser he is.
ReplyDeleteAxxx
We can still hardly believe it. We only ever seem to see hares singly, so have never been privileged to see them boxing. Ours have been very sedate, with no running, just some gentle lolloping.
DeleteDH has had the most wonderful time seeing just what his camera can do and we've been taking turns with the binoculars from upstairs to watch him close-up and personal. :-)
You lucky bods!
ReplyDeleteThose are some superb photographs....wonderful to see him so relaxed and undisturbed.
We are indeed! I wouldn't have believed it possible that a wild animal would stay around for so long, so close to human habitation. DH even went across to the barn without disturbing him. He did enjoy his sunbathing. :-)
DeleteSo cool!
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts exactly. :-)
DeleteHe looks like he has moved in to me.
ReplyDeleteHe certainly looked quite at home and soooo comfortable.
DeleteGoodness, what un-wild behaviour! He'll be rummaging in your bins next! :)
ReplyDeleteLOL! I think what we're seeing is the hare's instinctive ability to find a nice bit of camouflage and stay very, very still. It just happens that the camouflage is very close to the house. :-)
DeleteHe looks very contented
ReplyDeleteWell, we don't have any pets, so there was nothing to disturb him and he looked so at ease in the sun.
DeleteWhat an absolute beauty he is Perpetua, not to mention the stunning photographs.
ReplyDeleteIt is such a privilege to get a 'ringside' view of such shy creatures.
As so many others have said, it looks as if he has come to stay. I hope so for your sake(s).
I never realised before what truly gorgeous creatures hares are, Ray. DH's amazing 40X zoom lens and steady hand have given us the chance to admire every dappled hair in that lovely coat. :-) I do hope he comes back to visit when the weather changes for the better again.
DeleteWhat fun for you! And what great shots! And how green your grass after the long winter. I hope you'll be seeing more of Mr Hare.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! I reckon DH's photos are staring to approach yours for beauty and clarity. :-) Our grass is indeed green at last, but don't be fooled by the top shots. Stills taken from the video clips tend to have slightly altered colour tones and the grass isn't as blue green as that. :-)
DeleteDear Perpetua - your hare is so handsome, but may be he is beautiful - I am not sure how you can tell a male from a female. I think that it is mainly the males that box. I would love it if you managed to catch some boxing hares - please keep your eyes and camera at the read just in case.
ReplyDeleteIn a TV programme last year they were saying that it's the females that box - fighting over the males, if I remember rightly! I meant in my earlier reply to ask if it might have been Mrs Hare, not Mr Hare? Whichever, he/she is gorgeous!
DeleteThanks, Helva. According to the article on Wikipedia, "closer observation has revealed it is usually a female hitting a male, either to show she is not yet ready to mate or as a test of his determination." :-)
DeleteRosemary, I've yet to find any website which mentions any way of easily distinguishing males from females, other than a reference mentioning that, as with rabbits, in some varieties the females can be slightly bigger than the males. So this could indeed have been a female.
According to the Hare Preservation Trust:
http://www.hare-preservation-trust.co.uk/status.html
hares are now much rarer in the west of Britain than in the east, so our chances of seeing a group of them with any boxing seems rather remote, unfortunately.
I would love to have a little visitor like your hare. He's just beautiful. The idea that he felt so safe near you was indeed very special. I know he may not stay long, but he has graced your home for a while, and I delight in that with you, Perpetua. These little creatures that come and visit are wonderful little gifts from the Creator. I always feel a little blessed. I just loved the photos! Debra
ReplyDeleteWe feel extremely privileged to have had him and the smaller one as visitors so close together, Debra. DD photographed one just outside the conservatory at the back of the house last May, but otherwise we see hares very rarely indeed. This one certainly took advantage of a warm sheltered spot yesterday. Today is cool and windy - not a day for sunbathing. :-)
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteAmazing photos! A joy indeed. Do you grow veges though? ...just asking. *}
YAM xx
They really are super and DH is thrilled that the camera can catch such shots. No veggies grown here, so the wildlife has to eat what nature provides. :-)
DeleteIsn't he gorgeous - you are very lucky.
ReplyDeleteI think so too and am busy finding out as much about hares as I can.
DeleteWhat a bit of afternoon joy! He feels safe and has found a cozy spot for some r & r, all to the delight of you and your DH. These are such unique moments, aren't they, when nature invites us to share in such moments as a hare resting and eating on an afternoon. Sigh. I think I've just written myself into a nap myself. Wonderful pictures!
ReplyDeleteWe spent much of yesterday afternoon peeking again and again out of the window to check that he was still there and enjoying himself. :-) We really could not believe that yet again a hare was willing to stay for so long so close to the house and appear so content. From what I've read hares tend to be nocturnal for much of the year and it's only in spring and early summer that they are often seen by day. Thank goodness we were here to witness this. :-)
DeleteHe is beautiful. What a wonderful thing, to have him so close that you could take such amazing pictures. Just perhaps he/they will stick around. Wouldn't that be nice.
ReplyDeleteI think he's gorgeousy, Bonnie, and DH's zoom lens means that he looks almost close enough to touch. :-) It's also starting to look as though he's sticking around, as he came back this afternoon for another long period, even though the weather is much cooler and windier.
DeleteOh how nice that he or she came back again this afternoon. Seems as if the hare is getting 'in your hair' if you'll excuse the obvious pun :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat photos once more. Please give DH my congratulations.
LOL, Ricky! We could hardly believe our eyes when we saw him again, this time much closer to the house where we saw our first visitor a fortnight ago in similar grey weather. I think it must be more sheltered from the wind down there.
DeleteDH is very pleased with what his camera can do and we're so enjoying the results.
Sorry, Perpetua... I've just got to wind this thread on a bit...
DeleteIf they keep visiting in increasing numbers, you will have to have a "hare cut"!!
Aaaaaaaaaagh!
ROFL, Tim! I've been having an interesting eail conversation with the Hare Preservation Trust who have been extremely helpful and informative. it looks like we've most probably only had two visitors - an adult (female?) in the top two pictures and a juvenile in all the rest. Apparently leverets often keep coming back to the same place, sometimes for several months until they reach adulthood. This would fit with the fact that we have photos taken on 3 separate days of a hare lying for long period in EXACTLY the same spot, as well as some of it (ao a dead ringer) sunbathing a few yards away on a different occasion. No hare-cut needed quite yet. :-)
DeleteOhhh envy envy.... I LOVE hares! I've never seen one close up (for real) or looking so relaxed! I generally see their tail-end (literally) disappearing in the distance. Or a short spell of boxing in the field. That's on the Orkney Mainland - none here on Graemsay. Gorgeous pictures. You really ARE privileged!
ReplyDeletePoor Sian, I wish I could share him. :-) In fact, until DD saw one just outside the house last year, I'd never seen one close-up either, but this year is truly amazing. We keep saying we should clear the clumps of grass and weeds from the old farmyard, but they now seem to be providing perfect cover for hares to feel safe enough to stay for hours at a time. Mind you, I've only ever seen one at a time and would love to see them boxing.
DeleteHow special to have a hare coming so close with the help of the grassy camouflage! The stills from the video are so clear and I can imagine how exciting to know that you have such beautiful creatures on or near your land.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't have thought it conceivable until that first visit, Linda, and to have had three is just wonderful. I love the fact that the camera will allow us to take stills from the video as well as conventional photos, as we can choose just the right pose. Now of course we will spend half our time glancing out of the window to check for return visits. :-)
DeleteHow lovely...and such great photos of a beautiful animal.
ReplyDeleteThere you are watching the hare, and here I am watching one of two tortoises in our garden. Reminds me of the Aesop fable :-)
That made me giggle, Ayak. :-) Being greedy I'd love to be able to watch tortoises too.
DeleteWe're so pleased with the photos and are keeping a good look out for another visit, but given today's wet and windy weather I'm not expecting one soon....
fabulous! [typing onr handed--Tinka has commandeerd the other arm] we had one visit last year.
ReplyDeleteAnd you certainly can't disturb Tinka when she's made herself comfortable. :-) We can't believe that we've had 4 visits in the last 3 weeks, three of them in 2 days! We now think that we've seen a female and at least one male.
DeleteDefinitely not! She gets quite grumpy! The fact that my arm gets pins & needles and I can't type properly is quite immaterial! ;-)
DeleteReading your postscript I now think that our visitor [looked at our photos again] was also a female as it was a large beastie!
How nice to have repeat visits!!
.
The female in the top photos really was a strong, muscular and statuesque animal. The photos were taken from much further away but the size still shows very clearly. We'd have to be able to put all our visitors side by side to tell for sure what the others were.
DeleteThere is definitely something about your place that spells SAFETY to the hare. I always feel that it's a great privilege when a wild animal seeks sanctuary near my house - well, except for the deer, which eat the bark from the trees :)
ReplyDeleteWe're remote from other houses and any through traffic and have no animals of our own, so there is nothing to disturb or threaten any furry visitors. Interestingly DH walked across the yard not realising that the hare was sunbathing and it simply froze until he was past and went on resting. We do indeed feel privileged to have been visited like this and hope it won't be for the last time.
DeleteWhat breathtaking shots of this beautiful creature. I love the shaft of sunlight on her flank, and the dewdrops on the grass: it looks enchanted.
ReplyDeleteI, too, always feel privileged to encounter a hare. I nearly trod on one once, up on the heather moorland on the highland part of the estate: she sat so still that I didn't notice her until my foot was almost upon her, whereupon she exploded out of the heather and away! She didn't waste energy, though, and stopped just a few yards further up the hill. She must have known that I was in her thrall.
We feel very privileged to have been visited so often in such a short time and almost certainly by at least 2 (if not 3) individuals. The morning visit of the female was very early and the sun had only just reached that part of the field, so the dew was still heavy. DH and I stood at the bathroom window totally transfixed.
DeleteOn the last visit, the day before yesterday, the hare concerned spotted me taking yet more photos and froze totally until sure that any danger had passed, then went on eating....
Either you've got a very long lens or you were able to get very close to your visitor. What a delight :)
ReplyDeleteDH's super video camera has a 40X lens and the hare in the top photos was at least 30 - 40 yards away, if not more. The bottom ones were from much closer - more like 10 - 15 from an upstairs window.
DeleteDear Perpetua, your posting about the visiting hares made me smile. And uplifted my heart on this chilly day. I hope to walk later this afternoon when the temperature will have risen somewhat. And oh, to see a hare, or a rabbit, or even a small chipmunk would make my day. The photographs DH took are so clear. I feel as if I could reach down and feel the heartbeat of the hares. Peace.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that your spring weather is as chilly as ours, Dee. It's been rather wet and windy for the past few days, but our furry friend was back again yesterday and today (thought Thursday was too wet for him or her) DH photographer enable us to see our visitor much more clearly than we possibly could with the naked eye, unless we use the binoculars. We're enjoying the visits so much, so I hope you manage to see some wildlife on your walk.
DeleteGoodness, that very last photo reminds me of a Beatrix Potter drawing. I hope you don't have a beloved vegetable garden, as those cute bunnies will eat up everything! Good to see the snow has finally stopped.
ReplyDeleteI think Beatrix would have had a field day with her sketchpad over the past week. :-) No real garden of any kind up in this wilderness, so we've no worries there. The snow didn't finally vanish until the middle of April, but it's certainly spring now.
DeleteI just wanted to slap myself for having a very French reaction and wondering how different hare stew tastes to rabbit. Oops.
ReplyDeleteBlow integration - you've gone native, MM. :-) There's probably plenty of hare eaten, as they are still officially game animals in the UK - just not on our patch......
DeleteHave you never tried 'Jugged Hare'? I had it many years ago, and it was lovely - hare cooked in port, if I remember rightly. Mind you, I don't think I'd want to have it now - I love hares too much! There are times when I could easily become vegetarian as I don't really like thinking about what the meat I'm eating has come from (especially when it's trout - I always have to get the fishmonger to remove the head, as I can't bear the reproachful look in the eyes!)
DeleteNo, I haven't and I don't think I've ever eaten rabbit either. DH and I don't eat much meat of any kind nowadays, often having completely meat-free days. I too don't serve trout with the head on, but am happy to remove it myself - a leftover from when I would cook items like this for the cats. :-)
DeleteI love rabbit. I've come round to the idea that it smells loads better when simmering in a panful of red wine with the carrots than when it's eating the carrots in a cage. My integration appears to be complete. My dad tells me that hare is better than rabbit....
DeleteAs for not being able to look a trout in the eyes.... a few years in France gets you over hang-ups like that. I do still have issues about seeing crayfish and lobsters being boiled alive, though....
I'd probably enjoy it too if I tried it, but I don't think I've ever seen it offered for sale around here, or at least not in the shops I frequent. I gather it tastes a lot like chicken. I've also never eaten lobster, probably because I'm not a fan of seafood other than fish.
DeleteI've often thought it must be extraordinarily difficult to be a vegetarian in France, at least if you want to eat out. :-)
Amazing that they let you get close enough for a shot.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you are not the kind of people who’d take a shot gun to them.
We're taking the photos from inside the house, so they aren't aware of us. DH's excellent zoom lens means that we can produce images from an upstairs window which look as though we were standing right next to our daily visitor (the adult only visited once).
DeleteDH is an excellent shot with a rifle, but only at inanimate targets.
I love your hare. We have kittens in our backyard, too wild to catch. I would prefer your hare.
ReplyDeleteHello and welcome to my blog. :-) Glad you like him. He's fun to have around and unlike the wild kittens we get at our cottage in France, he just freezes if we're around rather than running away.
Delete