Mad March Hares.

A quick check of the local fields around Kintbury today in the hope of snapping some boxing Hares.

I've seen them here regularly, but nature rarely plays by the rules and to be honest, I don't really know anything about Hares

The first field near Kintbury had 6 Hare sat in the middle of. I watched them for a while but they didn't move, not even to eat. The field was massive and they were a very long way off. The chance of getting any decent pictures was very remote, bordering on the side of impossible. Guessing that the lack of activity was because the ladies weren't in season, I got bored of watching and tried somewhere else. 

A mile or so up the road and 4 more were sat in a different field, again not doing very much at all.

I spent some more time watching and they moved a bit. A very brief bit of boxing but more a case of chasing each other off. A female was anchored herself down in a form and was being heavily guarded by a male. The 2 others in the area were also males and were just waiting....  patiently in the distance.

I'm sure it wont be long before there is some more action, but seeing this weekend's weather forecast - I think I'll pass.

A stand off.

Followed by a bit of chasing around.

She settles back in her form.

Guarding his lady, cleaning his feet.

He has all day, no rush.

Not an Otter Spotter....

Today was Spring-like..  Days like these should not be wasted!

I'm coming to the end of a 2 week period of annual leave from work and although I have completed a lot of tasks in the new house, plus run and cycled a few times, I haven't had any days out with the camera - apart from a morning in Romsey and the New Forest last Monday.

The weather has been 'temperamental', but in previous years I would have at least been to the coast or Blashford once or twice in these two weeks..  The lack of outings probably has a large amount to dp with the fact I'm not Year-Listing this year. It shouldn't do, (and I'm not sure I should admit this publically) but when year-listing  there is a slight addiction to spot birds either before they leave us after their winter stay, AS SOON as they arrive for the WHOLE of Summer, or spot stuff that gets a bit lost in their journey from A to B, where ever A and B may be..
Any way the wind blows - as Freddie once said.

A tick is a tick after all - and they all add up.

So, not wanting to waste any of the rare sunshine, I decided to pop down to Andover this afternoon and see if the Otters were out.. If not, I'd still be sat by a beautiful lake in the sunshine. A win / win situation.

Fortunately for the Otters, they had a very nice sleep this afternoon, but there is always something to see at Rooksbury. Perhaps in 'Ant & Dec' style -  the Otters couldn't be bothered to come out today, so sent their Little Otters...  in the form of a Water Vole. Honestly, I haven't been drinking..

So yeah, today's photographic subject were Water Voles.. One in particular who was eating along the river bank and running in an out of holes by the fast flowing river. He posed nicely a few times too.  

 

The other win was a slightly sun-burnt face, or was that wind-burn?..  Roll on Summer! (or at least Spring)

And here is a Hawfinch from last week.