Marsh hares

I  haven’t done much brown hare photography lately, and since this is the season of the mad march hare, I thought I’d post a selection of images taken over the last few years.

All were taken on the North Kent Marshes, either using my car as a hide or on-foot-chance- encounters.  Invariably, the greatest success comes from knowing specific areas they inhabit, then returning time and again, though as I witnessed on a number of occasions, the most memorable experiences can be those you see by sheer chance.

On specific areas of the marshes, I can be sure of at least seeing them but due to its sheer size, totalling many 1000s of acres, having them close enough for photography is another matter and although I own a 4×4, at this time of the year, it can be so wet and boggy that frankly you’d need an amphibious vehicle!  So, there is nothing for it other than to sit and wait.  Some mornings, nothing, whereas on others the activity seems to be everywhere and never ending.  It’s the latter of course that keeps you coming back for more and it’s surprising just how quickly you forget those long, fruitless waits.

Very often at this time of the year, the marsh would be so flooded that the hares would have no choice other than to run across or jump over the water.

The males, or jacks, will box each other to obtain dominance, or with females, jills, prior to mating. 

I have only ever witness ‘proper’ boxing twice, where they stand toe to toe for long periods, trading blows.  The image below was such an occasion when I decided to take a walk across the marsh, keeping to the long grass and wearing just sufficient camouflage not to stand out too much.  I rounded a bend and there below me were two hares boxing.  They were so engrossed in what they were doing they never noticed me.  It lasted well over 20 seconds, without a break, fur flying in all directions.  Once it was over, they simply dropped down on all fours and started nibbling the grass, as if nothing ever happened.

Tags: boxing, brown hare, european hare, north kent marshes, spring