Haring into Summer

We're well past "Mad March Hare" time, but the hares in the Ribble Valley are still very active. They might be a bit trickier to see because the grass has suddenly become long, green, and lush, but they seem very happy to run around and feed.

Spring emerges from out of the grey gloom

After a couple of gloomy, grey weeks where every effort to venture outside seemed to be met with camera-ruining drizzle, the sun finally shone and I was able to get out and feel the emergence of Spring, though Jo was unfortunately chained to her desk.

We're aware of where our local hares spend their day, so I managed to get pretty close to them before they hopped into the next field and out of sight. Usually the first sign of a hare is its rapidly disappearing backside!

Also spotted were three buzzards, a cormorant, some randy geese, the odd lapwing, and a few curlews. The colourful red fungus in the final photos is scarlet elf cup (Sarcoscypha coccinea) which is making an appearance in quite a few woods at the moment.

Barn owl (Location? Barn Owl Hill, of course!)

We'd just packed our cameras away and were driving home when we saw a barn owl hunting. We leapt out of the car after executing a Top Gear-esque brake and stop, and managed to get a few shots before it flew into some woods.

Pants