For pulling over briefly to watch a Hare?

[AintNobodyHereButUsChickens]

I was heading home on a long drive earlier today and I was on a very long, very straight road and I spotted a Hare loping across the road about 100yds in front of me, when I got to where I’d seen it go, I saw it sat in the field so I pulled up and watched it, and I even took a little video! As I mentioned, the road was very long and straight so I could see a mile in both directions and there was nothing coming whatsoever so I wasn’t inconveniencing any other drivers. All in all I was on the side of the road for no more than a minute before it bounded off and disappeared.

DH rang me a little while later and I excitedly told him about the Hare and that I’d sat and watched it and he made me feel a bit silly for being excited about seeing one. He said they’re ‘not exactly rare’ and that he sees them all the time. The thing is, he used to be a roadworker and now he’s a builder so he’s spent years and countless hours driving endless country roads, so no doubt he has seen loads of Hares over the years. But I’m a SAHM and rarely go out of town. I obviously don’t see Hares on the school run, or in the gym or in town at the shops so it is a rare sighting for me!

Would anyone else have been excited to see a Hare like I was? Here’s a screenshot of the video, sorry it’s so grainy, by the time I’d grabbed my phone it had gotten much further away from me so I had to zoom in!

How 😍

On the subject of ‘Raising Hare’ I’ve been lucky enough to have been blessed with raising a hare myself. He’s one of the rare ones who turned himself into a house hare and has completely taken over our hearts. I hand reared him from a newborn (Dd2 rescued him from barley machinery) thinking he would never survive and if he did he’d want to leave but he’s currently lying on my arm trying to stealthily sneak a lick of butter because his mission is to eat what he’s not allowed!

How delightful. I like rabbits, they are solitary animals, so they are much rarer. They are also an ancient, majestic indigenous animal that has a place in folklore, whereas rabbits were brought over by the Normans for food and escaped into the wild.

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You know you can't leave it at that...? #photoplease

I adore hares and would totally pull over to watch one in the wild! DH sees loads when he's cycling, but in the car it easy to miss them

Oh my days - that's incredible! @Theresalittlebitofwitchinyou - please, please can we see a photo?

Not unreasonable at all! I love hares. Many years ago DH and I went out for an evening walk, as we came round a bend in the lane we were greeted by two young hares, playing. I had my camera on me and captured this photo

Here’s some of Argyll, my favourite child as the rest of the family says (not gonna lie it’s true!)

😍 × million! Hello Argyll, you lovely leporid! 💛💛💛

I would be excited OP. That thrill, that comes from an unexpected moment of magic in your day, it often lingers long after too, giving us a calm restful feeling.
May we all find much joy in nature this spring x

DH and I were in Northumberland on holiday last year and we stopped to watch one running out of a golf course near our accommodation. Neither of us had seen one before.

I pulled over on my journey on Saturday morning to watch some lambs bouncing around in the field - put a huge smile on my face for the rest of my drive. Luckily it was fairly early so not much on the road to wonder why I was grinning like a loon.

Nature is beautiful and I love taking time to watch.

Argyll has a wonderful nose. He's beautiful. 💚

Please tell Argyll that I love him 😍

He looks like he has his judgy pants on in the third one 🤣

I treasure every moment like that, and anyone who tries to shit on my joy like your 'D'H did is a total nob in my book.

We once came up my dads narrow little lane with a buzzard in front of us, flying low along the lane, rabbit pegging it down the middle of the road head of him (dived into a ditch safely), it was an incredible view...

I spent hours on my last holiday at Center Parcs, in my wheelchair, watching the wildlife in a quiet corner of the complex - a bloke with his kids came over to see what we were doing (two wheelchair users sat staring into space..). We explained we'd been watching all sorts of things, siskins, yellowhammers, bullfinches, a stoat trying to lure a mouse to its doom... He was totally baffled at the idea of sitting quietly and watching nature get on with its life around us! One of his kids was interested but he shut that down really fast, telling them 'no we don't want to look at wildlife, its boring.'

Hares are beautiful. My dad knew all the places to see them and we'd often go out on the Downs in the car just to have a look (with a pub stop in between). I love bunnies too, but there's something magical about how a hare moves.

Hello Argyll! ❤️❤️❤️

@Seawolves what an absolutely stunning picture: just look at those long back legs!

Argyll is truly beautiful.

What an amazing thread.

The last time we went to Center Parcs we spent hours in the bird hide just watching the avian visitors and red squirrels playing. This particular nature-lover isn't about to be sucked in by their FOMO business model; it's one of those times when the best things in life truly are free.

So envious of those who can watch the red squirrels in your gardens. I need to move to Cumbria or Scotland ...

I would have been as excited as you and I live in the country. They are not at all common like rabbits.

I would have stopped! We don’t see hares
much where I am, and I’ve only seen one once on holiday in France

YANBU hares are very beguiling! I am always equally mesmerised by hares and murmurations of starlings.

I would have stopped. I’ve only seen three hares but I’ve seen a couple of stoats which are brilliant.

One of my colleagues had a pet hare when he was a kid. Lived in the house. His uncle was a farmer and killed the mum whilst using heavy machinery in the field so they took it in as baby, and hand reared it, apparently it was a fantastic pet.

I get very excited whenever I see a hare so I fully understand

They are beautiful yet mysterious creatures and I love to see them / watch them.
I don't blame you one bit for stopping.

As a side note, OP, if you haven't already read Chloe Dalton's 'Raising hare', then I highly recommend it.