I’ve done some paid wildlife surveying today! I assisted a local ecological consultants in a site survey for wintering birds. Not many birds to be frank, other than on the adjacent Ribble Estuary so I’ve gone for the highlight of the survey, not a bird but a mammal.
What: Brown Hare Lepus europaeus Pallas 1778
When: 14th January 2020
Where: A site near Preston Docks, Preston, Lancashire, UK
Who saw it? Myself and a work colleague
How was it recorded? Noted down on the site survey, hopefully the record will filter through to the local mammal recorder.
Is it larger than a blackbird? Yes, about the size of a small dog.
What is it? A mammal in the lagomorph family (which includes rabbits). Larger than rabbits they run with their hind legs stretched, unlike the decidedly ‘hoppy’ rabbits. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen one standing still, they always seem to be running. Very wary of humans and skittish as a result; hence all the running. Light brown fur with a short black and white tail on a black and white rump. Crazy mad orange eyes. They don’t live in burrows.
A fact I have learned about this species: ‘Boxing’ hares in the breeding season are not usually two males fighting, rather a female batting away a potential suitor (Couzens et al, 2017).
Visual representation: You’ll have to make one up. I have no picture of my own and it’s far too close to the start of my bar job to do one of my highly accurate Paint special drawings. Imagine a giant rabbit and you’re most of the way there. Or Google them. Actually, yes, Google it!
Are they charismatic? More enigmatic than charismatic. You only ever see them running away. You’re more likely to see droppings or footprints than the individuals themselves. They are also mostly solitary; imagine a lone rider in an old Western or something, you don’t know much about them except by reputation.
A Species a Day 