Something in the air

As soon as we left the house for our walk yesterday, I knew it was a bit of a strange day. I should say that just before we donned our shoes and headed outside, we had a conversation about the appearance of the Tense Towers rabbit. This doesn't happen very often, actually only twice in six years, so probably not the same rabbit. Anyways, what with everyone banging on about May the 4th and the pun-tastic opportunities which that entails for Star Wars fans, here's a bit of lagomorphic balance.

In 2014, a rabbit appeared in our garden briefly on 4th May, and in 2018, a rabbit appeared in our garden briefly on 5th May. So here we are in 2020, and there's no sign of any bunny high jinks in the garden. However, after setting off on our walk, what do we spy offski-ing into a drain hole at the side of the road about 50m from our home? Yup, the first rabbit we've seen in the immediate vicinity since 2018. It's uncanny.

As we go around the kirk loop, we spot a Hare ways away, sat in the middle of a field to our right. Then, almost immediately, we spot another one in a field to our left, but this one is jinking to and fro and obviously following a scent trail. Connecting the hopeful dots, I take a guess that Hare 2 is looking for Hare 1, so we remain motionless and wait to see what happens. Indeed, before too long, Hare 2 crosses the road in front of us as it makes its way into Hare 1's field.

Suitably wildlife momented, we carry on our amble and Our Lass spots a pair of Ringed Plover in a newly-sprouted crop. Unfortunately, my photos were rubbish. What ever I did wrong, I had unknowingly corrected it by the time we stopped to photograph this Common Carder Bumblebee.

Down by the kirk, the tide was in, and the air was still. We listened to the Starlings, Turnstones and pipits all calling away, and even a pair of Herring Gulls were sharing a tender moment.

See, it's true, even Herring Gulls can turn on the charm when it suits them, although I'm wondering whether this was the female of the pair testing her mate to see how he would respond to a feeding request. As an interview technique, it kinda gets straight to the heart of the matter... none of that "Where do you see yourself in five years time?" 

It really was quite pleasant by the shore, with a couple of Mute Swans gently drifting in the bay of Howes Wick...

a lone Whimbrel foraging in the rock pools...

and either a Cormorant or a Shag having a snooze on a rock.

Meanwhile, that something in the air thing was really getting to the hares.

We spent the rest of the day excavating the hardstanding area for the rotary drying pole, so were suitably bushed come the evening.