The Watchful Hare
By Miles ·
A brown hare stops grooming for a moment, sitting upright with its ears raised as it watches the photographer from the summer grass.
Caught in the middle of its daily ablutions, this brown hare suddenly decided that I was rather more interesting than the business of getting clean. One moment it was happily washing itself; the next it stopped, ears raised and eyes fixed firmly on me.
Sitting on the edge of a field, with its front paws resting awkwardly in front of it, the hare looked almost as though it had been caught doing something it shouldn't.
Brown hares are wonderfully expressive creatures. Those enormous ears constantly listen for danger, while their large, watchful eyes give them an almost permanently surprised look. They're usually quick to disappear at the slightest disturbance, so observing one up close is always a pleasure.
What I particularly like about this photograph is the combination of curiosity and caution. The hare hasn't bolted, but it's clearly keeping a careful eye on me, perhaps deciding whether I'm worth worrying about.
Fortunately, it stayed just long enough for a photograph.