Tag Archives: hare

An Evening in the Marshes

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After we’d had our chips we took a drive out into the marshes and Julia took a walk along the beach. I need a firmer footing so I stayed inland with the camera.

Hare on Norfolk saltmarsh
Hare on Norfolk saltmarsh
Hare on Norfolk saltmarsh

As I pottered about the marshes taking blurred photos of larks and pipits a hare came for a look. It’s strange how things always seem to pose awkwardly. In this case the hare managed to stay behind the intrusive fence wire. Then I failed to photograph a Cormorant, a Marsh Harrier and a flight of Oystercatchers.

I ended up at Blakeney harbour taking pictures of boats that were stuck in the mud. They are much easier than birds.

Blakeney, Norfolk
Blakeney, Norfolk
Blakeney, Norfolk

The car park is free to National Trust members, which was the high point of the holiday for me.

I could offer a more insightful view into marshland, tourism and the National Trust, but I won’t, because I’m feeling quite relaxed after looking at the photos and remembering the evening.

Partridges, Photographs and Pheasants

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After dropping Julia off at work (she works at one of the few centres in Nottingham that wasn’t closed today) I went to look for a sunrise. There was a small one, but as I chased it down it became duller, smaller and less impressive, so I didn’t bother.

I did manage to get a picture of a Red-legged Partridge in front of a backdrop of oilseed rape.

In some ways it’s a picture of all that’s wrong with modern farming – a non-native gamebird against a background of monoculture. As it’s the only decent photograph I’ve taken in the last seven days I’m not going to dwell on that thought. It’s a sign that I’m getting better and have now recovered enough brain power to spare some for photography.

I accidentally photographed a pheasant and missed a hare too.

I spent most of the rest of the day back in bed sleeping (I’m still convalescing, after all) and when I finally got up Number One Son made me an excellent beef and horseradish sandwich using meat left over from tea last night.

We aren’t popular: it seems Julia had earmarked that for tomorrow night’s tea.

If you think I’m unpopular now wait and see what happens when she examines the biscuit barrel.

Tree, rapeseed and a pheasant

Can you see the pheasant?

The sun is shining…

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It’s starting to feel like Spring again, with blue sky and sunshine, though the temperature gauge in the car was showing 2 degrees Centigrade outside.

As we passed East Bridgford there was a buzzard in a roadside tree. Later we passed around 200 Lapwings in a field by the side of the A46 (the most we’ve ever seen there) and as we turned into the lane there were a couple of Fieldfares sitting on fence posts. We hadn’t seen any for a couple of weeks and I’d assumed that they had moved on to prepare for the trip back to Scandinavia. The fact that they were perching on the posts is new behaviour (we normally see them in the fields, so they may well be getting ready to go). It seems that  they may stay as late as may, though I don’t recall ever seeing any at that time, and that a couple of pairs a year stay and breed in the UK. That makes sense – I know I’d rather stay here than fly across the North Sea every spring.

Topic of the morning was what runs faster – a hare or an ostrich. No, I don’t know how we narrowed it down to those two. The hare is our fastest land mammal – top speed 50 mph and sustained speed up to 35 mph. The ostrich, which can take strides up to 12 feet long, can manage 60 mph at top speed and can maintain 45 mph. Considering the relative lengths of their legs I would say that the hare is doing well.

Back to boring paperwork for now, will see what the rest of the day brings…