Bank Holiday Boxing

Today I was out looking for chicks around a local loch, having long given up hope of seeing any boxing hares this Spring. More about chicks later, but today’s big excitement was finding myself accidentally in the midst of some frenetic hare action!

It started when I saw one at the side of the road in front of me. I crept up closer and then suddenly another hare began chasing this one.

But then two became four and there was a high speed chase across a field and then a big pile up in the long grass with the sounds of tussles and thumps.

There was a frantic fight in the grass and then they would career off after each other again.

Suddenly one came hammering past me, so fast and close that I couldn’t get a good photograph apart from this slightly blurry one. It looks like it has a bloodied nose.

After several more high speed chases (hares can run at up to 45mph) and further skirmishes the hares dispersed. This pair met on the road and looked like they had almost stopped to gossip about the fights that had just taken place.

One went back to grazing in the long grass.

Later I saw this pair lying low in the grass, recovering from all their exertions?

Always expect the unexpected when out wandering in nature. You almost certainly never see what you’re hoping to, but get surprised in other ways. I was thrilled to see these “mad MAY hares!”