Fielding questions

All through the recent and prolonged dreich weather, there have been precious few opportunities for any wildlife moments, but today the rain finally stopped and the sun made a welcome appearance. Back home for lunch after a morning of fault-finding and repairs, I wandered into the kitchen to make a cuppa and happened to look out of the window.

"It's nearly Valentine's Day. Where for art thou, my true love?"

A male Brown Hare was sat staring out over the valley, seemingly deep in thought. I armed myself with a camera and waited to see what would happen. All the following shots were taken through the kitchen window but, thankfully, a month of south-easterly rain has given them a good wash. Reaching a decision, the hare proceeded to quarter the field, presumably following the scent trail of a female hare.

This way...

that way...

to and...

fro.

At one point, he even managed to get himself trapped in a neighbour's garden. Fortunately, although he obviously couldn't remember how he got in there, he eventually jumped over their low block wall and back into the field. Soon he returned to following her scent, hither and thither, up and down, with the occasionally yon for good measure.

Leaving him to it, I made my cuppa and sat down to do a spot of office admin. I had only got as far as opening up my email and accounts apps, when my phone rang. It was a customer with a technical query, so I stood up and paced around the room whilst I gave an answer.

When I reached the kitchen window again, I was greeted by this vision of lagomorphic love. 

Obviously, the above photo was not taken whilst I was talking to a customer on the phone. No, it would seem that male hares are able to... er... um... reset and reload in very short order, so this is one of many mating attempts. Eventually though, the female hare decided that enough was enough, and she gave him a huge kick with her back legs, sending him flying. Then they sat a little way apart, leisurely grooming and looking very smug.

It might not be Spring yet, but Nature is waking up from her Winter slumbers.