View allAll Photos Tagged hare!!!
Woven amongst the strobing lights and crashes of thunder last night, I was dreaming about hares 😳 It reminded me that I hadn't posted my hot hare shot...
This was taken back in June on a humid day, much like today. I'd seen the tail-end of some hares on the hillside, but they all scarpered at the sight of me - who wouldn't? Anyway, I decided to see what would happen if I sat quitely under a tree for a while. 10 minutes go by and suddenly, out of nowhere, two hares appear in hot pursuit of another. All three galloped past within about 10 feet of me! Stunned I sat for a while and took in what I'd just seen. And then, hop hop hop, a very hot and bothered looking hare came and flopped under the tree 10 feet in front of me. Brilliant. Not the best shot as they were too bloomin' close!
Brown Hare - Lepus europaeus
Norfolk
The brown hare is known for its long, black-tipped ears and fast running - it can reach speeds of 45mph when evading predators. It prefers a mosaic of farmland and woodland habitats and can often be spotted in fields.
Thought to have been introduced into the UK in Roman Times (or even earlier), the brown hare is now considered naturalised. It is most common in grassland habitats and at woodland edges, favouring a mosaic of arable fields, grasses and hedgerows. It grazes on vegetation and the bark of young trees and bushes. Brown hares do not dig burrows, but shelter in 'forms', which are shallow depressions in the ground or grass; when disturbed, they can be seen bounding across the fields, using their powerful hind legs to propel them forwards, often in a zigzag pattern. Brown hares are at their most visible in early spring when the breeding season encourages fighting or 'boxing'. Females can produce three to four litters of two to four young (known as leverets) a year.
Widespread, but absent from northern Scotland and the Scottish islands.
I have been luck to gain some permission on a lovely hare site, although I have to clock in and out of this site, in the few times I have been its given me some lovely chance of close encounter of these lovely mammals, this site also lends itself to sunset images also.
The light was already very harsh and the hares were not running that close, but the chase was fantastic.
Haas - European hare (Lepus europaeus)
A young Mountain Hare showing how he can easily blend into his surroundings.
Many thanks to everyone that takes the time to comment on and favourite my images.
Brown Hare - Lepus europaeus
Norfolk
The brown hare is known for its long, black-tipped ears and fast running - it can reach speeds of 45mph when evading predators. It prefers a mosaic of farmland and woodland habitats and can often be spotted in fields.
Thought to have been introduced into the UK in Roman Times (or even earlier), the brown hare is now considered naturalised. It is most common in grassland habitats and at woodland edges, favouring a mosaic of arable fields, grasses and hedgerows. It grazes on vegetation and the bark of young trees and bushes. Brown hares do not dig burrows, but shelter in 'forms', which are shallow depressions in the ground or grass; when disturbed, they can be seen bounding across the fields, using their powerful hind legs to propel them forwards, often in a zigzag pattern. Brown hares are at their most visible in early spring when the breeding season encourages fighting or 'boxing'. Females can produce three to four litters of two to four young (known as leverets) a year.
Widespread, but absent from northern Scotland and the Scottish islands, except Islay, I'm reliably informed.
What it must be like to have eyes in the back of your head... You'd think Brown Hares can't see you from behind, but oh yes they can!
Glove left on a post in the Back O' Beyond. Pictured for all lovers of hares, past and present....and snowy rabbits
Good to spend some time with the hares (Lepus europaeus). We were both happy that the grass has been cut short!
Taxon Group: Lagomorpha
Common Name:
Brown hare
Scientific Name:
Lepus europaeus
Description:
Very long black-tipped ears; large, long, powerful hind legs. Much redder than the mountain hare, and with a black-topped tail. Yellow flecking to the fur, more so than grey-brown rabbits. Larger than rabbits.
Size:
52-59cm; tail: 8-12cm
Weight:
Average 3-4kg
Diet:
Tender grass shoots, including cereal crops, are their main foods.
Lifespan:
Adult hares normally live to 3 or 4 years but very rarely can they live much longer.
Origin & Distribution:
Brown hares were introduced in Iron Age times, from the other side of the North Sea. They are widespread on low ground throughout England, Wales and Scotland. Although they have been more recently introduced to Northern Ireland, they have not spread far. They have also been introduced to the Isle of Man and Mainland Orkney. In Scotland brown hares are found on farmland and rough grazing to the far north of the mainland, but are absent from parts of the North West. Brown hares are replaced by mountain hares in upland areas of Scotland and central England.
Habitat:
Grassland, Arable land
Behaviour:
Brown hares live in very exposed habitats, and they rely on acute senses and running at speeds of up to 70kph (45mph) to evade predators. Hares do not use burrows, but make a small depression in the ground among long grass - this is known as a form. They spend most of the day on or near the form, moving out to feed in the open at night. Though generally solitary, hares sometimes band into loose groups when feeding.
Breeding:
Breeding takes place between February and September and a female can rear three or four litters a year, each of two to four young. The young, known as leverets, are born fully furred with their eyes open and are left by the female in forms a few metres from their birth place. Once a day for the first four weeks of their lives, the leverets gather at sunset to be fed by the female, but otherwise they receive no parental care. This avoids attracting predators to the young at a stage when they are most vulnerable. Foxes are important predators of young hares and where foxes are common there are likely to be few hares.
Conservation Status:
Brown hares have little legal protection, as they are game animals managed by farmers and landowners. Numbers declined substantially since the beginning of this century, though they are still common animals in many parts of the country. Today's modern farms are intensive and specialised, either growing crops like wheat and oilseed rape, or raising livestock for meat and dairy produce. A hundred years ago most farms were mixed enterprises, with a patchwork quilt of fields which provide year-round grazing for hares as well as long crops for them to hide in. Modern cereal farms provide little or no food for hares in late summer and autumn, and livestock farms have few crops for them the hide in. Modern farm machinery and pesticides also kill many hares.
Another reason is that there now appears to be many more foxes in the countryside than there were a hundred years ago. Hare shooting still occurs in areas where hares are common and where farms want to reduce crop damage. Hare hunting with beagles and harriers used to occur throughout Britain, and hare coursing events were run by several coursing clubs, but these are now illegal (since Hunting Act 2002) in the UK; hare coursing, though controlled, is still legal in Ireland. Hares are very often poached, particularly with lurchers cross-bred from collies and greyhounds.
Out to do landscapes, when I happened across a number of Irish hares at Scawt Hill. They didn't seem to phased about my presence. So I sat down in the middle of the field - not hiding, out in the open, no camo involved. It really is a special day when they come to you.
Brown Hares / lepus europaeus. Lincolnshire. 11/04/22.
'PATIENCE IS LIKE ELASTIC, SOMETIMES IT SNAPS.'
The doe hare, (centre) had tolerated the attentions of these two bucks, (left/right) who had positioned themselves very close to her for 20 minutes or more.
This behaviour is usual, in fact, even more males will assemble if they locate a female about to become receptive. They stick like glue, biding their time, awaiting an opportunity to mate.
Understandably, a doe can find such attention too much to handle and often makes a break for freedom. My image shows a doe who had reached this point. Raised up on her hind legs, she had done a little boxing which was enough to get the males moving!
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
Always lovely when these beautiful animals haven't spotted you at first and they wonder in to your space in the end he just came to close but by me moving I would have blown my cover.