Spent all week photographing the Brown Hares and most of the time they have eluded me, but on friday I was very fortunate to be in the right place right time. I had been watching a group of about eight hares chasing each other as the female was in season, I got within a decent range but the Hares moved through a hedge in to the next field. I crawled through a cap but the hares went back and I managed to get a sequence of shots as the male was chasing the female and she was lashing out at him. The only down side is I must have knocked the camera down to F8 which is not ideal for boxing hares
Canon 1D MK11, 500mm lens, 1.4x, F8 1/320, ISO 200
Danny
Posted by Simon Litten on March 8, 2008 at 8:30 AM
Ouch! Now that's a low blow! Fantastic capture and I don't think f8 has lestened the impact of the image.
Gotta say, I always look forward to opening your posts and your latest series of hare shots have been a real treat. It's also nice to know that, like me, you don't take your hare pictures from the comfort of a car (I'd love to find a suitable site where I could though!)
Doesnt look like boxing to me!!!! more animal porn! great shot
Posted by Jeroen Stel on March 8, 2008 at 10:41 AM
That's gotta hurt...
Great shot Danny!
Allthough a horizontal crop would have been the obvious choice i like the fact that you went for a vertical for this one!
Superb image in every way. The vertical format works really well giving a good glimpse of the hare's surroundings with that distant hedgeline and field.
Posted by Elliott Neep on March 8, 2008 at 11:38 AM
Nice shot Danny... See, the best comes to those who wait I think the motion blur has added to this rather than detracted.
Very nice indeed. I like the recogniseable background with the hedge. I'm wondering if you had opened up then the hedge would've been turned into an abstract dark stripe that would've looked a bit strange, so maybe f8 was serendipitous? A bit of motion blur adds movement here.
Your hard work is certainly paying off Danny. great shot.
Eric
Posted by Austin Thomas on March 9, 2008 at 10:05 AM
Hi Danny,
That is excellent image. Having spent many days and several hours trying for this kind of picture in the North West of the UK, I lift my hat off to you.
From your experience what time of day do the hares prefer to box? I have heard mixed views from early morning to around midday for ringside action. Many thanks for sharing your picture and any guidance you can offer.
Your perseverance paid off with a 'cracking' image!
David
Posted by Danny Green on March 11, 2008 at 10:24 AM
Hello Austin
I am no expert on Brown Hares and it makes me smile when people say you should do this or do that because in truth they are so unpredictable. In my experience I would say the best boxing habits occur when a female is trying to rest but is coming into season and she is being harrassed by half a dozen males, so this could happen at anytime of day. The trick is to go over a period of days and then you stand a better chance of seeing this behaviour, but I think to be honest it is really down to pure luck.
I should have said in my post that the female is on the top and the male is trying to sniff her scent, she is giving him a good raking with her front claws and really gave him a good hiding, which I always thought was boxing but hey you learn something everyday
Thanks for nice comments
Danny
Posted by Austin Thomas on March 11, 2008 at 12:26 PM
Hi Danny,
Thanks for your guidance. I know only too well that luck plays a large part. A week last Sunday, brief "boxing" spells were witnessed around midday on my local patch. I returned the same time last Sunday with almost identical weather conditions and not a hare in sight...
Maybe this Sunday.
Thanks again for your inputs, much appreciated.
Austin
Posted by Danny Green on March 11, 2008 at 12:34 PM
Hello Austin
Same happened to me the day after I took this shot infact I have been every morning since and have not took a shot. On this morning I got so many chances for photographing them it was unbelievable, the males were like in a trance and were not bothered in the slightest by me so I got so many opportunties for portraits and running shots. Hopefully I experience it again.
Discussion
22 repliesCanon 1D MK11, 500mm lens, 1.4x, F8
Danny
Gotta say, I always look forward to opening your posts and your latest series of hare shots have been a real treat. It's also nice to know that, like me, you don't take your hare pictures from the comfort of a car (I'd love to find a suitable site where I could though!)
Simon
Superb! Love it! Knocking it to f/8 hasn't spoilt it at all!
Great shot Danny!
Allthough a horizontal crop would have been the obvious choice i like the fact that you went for a vertical for this one!
Well done!
Greetings,
Jeroen Stel
Dave
Greg
without that blur it would not have the same drive it has, f8 is great!!
Excellent capture Danny , ditto Barrie's comments
Andy...
Phil.
Eric
That is excellent image. Having spent many days and several hours trying for this kind of picture in the North West of the UK, I lift my hat off to you.
From your experience what time of day do the hares prefer to box? I have heard mixed views from early morning to around midday for ringside action. Many thanks for sharing your picture and any guidance you can offer.
Best regards,
Austin
David
I am no expert on Brown Hares and it makes me smile when people say you should do this or do that because in truth they are so unpredictable. In my experience I would say the best boxing habits occur when a female is trying to rest but is coming into season and she is being harrassed by half a dozen males, so this could happen at anytime of day. The trick is to go over a period of days and then you stand a better chance of seeing this behaviour, but I think to be honest it is really down to pure luck.
I should have said in my post that the female is on the top and the male is trying to sniff her scent, she is giving him a good raking with her front claws and really gave him a good hiding, which I always thought was boxing but hey you learn something everyday
Thanks for nice comments
Danny
Thanks for your guidance. I know only too well that luck plays a large part. A week last Sunday, brief "boxing" spells were witnessed around midday on my local patch. I returned the same time last Sunday with almost identical weather conditions and not a hare in sight...
Maybe this Sunday.
Thanks again for your inputs, much appreciated.
Austin
Same happened to me the day after I took this shot infact I have been every morning since and have not took a shot. On this morning I got so many chances for photographing them it was unbelievable, the males were like in a trance and were not bothered in the slightest by me so I got so many opportunties for portraits and running shots. Hopefully I experience it again.
Danny