Thursday 9 April 2020

Brown Hares

I have probably said this before, and I dare say I will say it again, but Brown Hares are one of, if not my favourite British (but only from the Iron Age) mammal. In fact they are probably one of my favourite mammals full stop! I even recorded twelve today on my hedgerow survey, but more of that later.

I don't want to say anything more about them, instead I have posted a few pictures below to let the Hares do the talking.






Just to bring you up to speed with catches in my moth trap; yesterday I had two Hebrew Characters, a Herald, a Clouded Drab and a Common Quaker, and today I had eight Hebrew Characters and nothing else! 

 Herald

I completed a bird survey of six hedges early this morning at one of my client's farms in the Wennington valley, part of a long term survey that I am doing for him. It was a beautiful morning, with clear skies and very little wind, but it was still a tad cold. 

This is where I recorded the twelve Brown Hares that I mentioned at the beginning of the post. At this time of the year I enjoy seeing the Lesser Black-backed Gulls that stop off to feed and loaf in the pastures on their migration north. They look so resplendant in their spanking, clean and sharp breeding plumage; I had 120. 

 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

Passerine migrants were thin on the ground and all I recorded were two singing Chiffchaffs and a female Wheatear perched on top of a mound of soil.

The best of the rest included two Ravens, two Song Thrushes, a pair of Reed Buntings and displaying Lapwings and Curlews.

Some early spring flowers were out in the form of Marsh Marigold and Primrose.

 Marsh Marigold

Primrose

I've just switched the moth trap on, so we'll see what I get in the morning.  

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