Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Wild Rabbit Watchers' LiveJournal:

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Friday, August 1st, 2008
10:06 pm [loganberrybunny]	Rabbiteering on TV! =:D Those of you in the UK, get over to iPlayer and watch today's episode of the One Show. More particularly the segment from about 18 minutes into the programme, in which Miranda goes out rabbiteering! =:D There's a follow-up studio waffle with some domesticated bunnies, but the wild stuff is much more interesting. *pings* Thanks to hawthornowl and taurenova for the tip-off. =:) Current Mood: bouncy (Comment on this)
Monday, July 28th, 2008
7:28 pm [loganberrybunny]	2008 rabbiteering (at last!) Cross-posted to my personal LJ What better way to mark Beatrix Potter's 142nd birthday than with a record of my first successful rabbiteering outing for absolutely ages? Both these bunnies were snapped on Clee Hill Common in Shropshire, which these days is one of my most productive rabbiteering areas. Considering that the buzzards1 and ravens were out in force when I was there, I was quite pleased to manage a couple of decent photos. Not much more to say, other than "Enjoy!" =:) (Click to enlarge to 800x600) (Click to enlarge to 800x600) 1For the benefit of New World readers, "buzzard" in Britain refers to a hawk of the genus Buteo, generally (as in this case) the Common Buzzard. It does not mean a vulture (we don't have those) and is not a derogatory term as I understand it can be in the United States. Current Mood: happy (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, May 19th, 2008
10:25 pm [porsupah]	Two off the beaten track At long last, I can contribute to this community! I recently took up a new gig, and the office just happens to be close to a long (thirteen miles, I believe) walking/cycling path. Most lunchtimes, I'll head around there, and quietly enjoy the sight of one or two, or even several, wild rabbits living out their lives, entirely independent of humans, although benefiting from being on and adjacent to some quiet farmland. Most of today's shots were unremarkable, but this one caught my eye. ^_^ (The camera's a friend's Minolta A200 - certainly can take good photos, but I'm going to have to work out how to effectively focus on what I consider the star of the photo, given its notion tends more towards the nearer ground. I'm looking towards a Lumix TZ5, but I'm wondering if I might need to aim for something more heavyweight eventually, when funds permit, in order to gain the use of high power zoom lenses. Either that, or learn the secret lapine words for "come closer, I'm harmless" =:) Current Mood: calm (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, September 17th, 2007
9:26 pm [ashoemaker]	Too precious even for rabbits Some young rabbit has built a nest just off the back patio of the house of some friends. It doesn't seem the best choice of location, as our friends discovered it when one of them went over it with a lawn mower! *gasp!* Fortunately the nest was slightly below ground as none of the young ones were injured -- though the nest was moving around a lot as I'm sure that the babies were terrified by the noise. Fortunately our friends are kind to rabbits. They gently covered over the nest and have marked off the area so it's safe from future mowings. When I was over visiting last evening, mom came to give the babies their bedtime snack. I didn't have the best view as we were all trying to keep a good distance, but at one point I saw tiny little legs wiggling in the air. My guess is that a young rabbit was on it's back squirming while suckling on it's mother. Awwww. :) Best of luck little bunnies! (Comment on this)
Monday, April 23rd, 2007
8:54 pm [ashoemaker]	Watching and waiting This guy(?) was in my back yard when I got home from work, and he kept staring at me! He stayed around the whole time I was cooking dinner. Perhaps he was looking for a handout. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Sunday, April 22nd, 2007
7:23 am [loganberrybunny]	Rabbit Report 60 - Back on track? Well now, maybe things aren't quite as black as I painted them last week. This morning I decided to check out the Road Warren, and while I didn't get to see anything very thrilling, I did see real live rabbits! =:) There was one rabbit right on the edge of town, which was a start. Then two or three kittens on a verge near the roundabout, though these were extremely nervous and bolted almost as soon as I saw them - hence my uncertainty about their numbers. There were also a couple (not together) in my usual field, though naturally the two horses that graze there chose that moment to run across the field and frighten them off again! The Road Warren is a bit more of an expedition to get to than the Lane Warren, but given that I saw no rabbits last week and hrair this week, if the Lane Warren doesn't improve soon I may concentrate my rabbiteering efforts a little further afield. Unfortunately at this time of year sunrise is directly in my line of sight when I'm in position for the field, so I can't use binoculars unless it's overcast. In June, with the sun's position having shifted southwards, it's a bit of a different story, and with sunrise being so much earlier there's far less traffic noise too, which encourages the bunnies to silflay more confidently. =:) Current Mood: hopeful (Comment on this)
Sunday, April 15th, 2007
12:30 pm [enteirah]	Just a quickie of a photo to kick off 2007. Where I work now, we're a bit rural based, so I often have chance to pass a rabbit here and there. You can tell we're truly into spring now just from the sheer number of kits about, one of which happened to jump across my path just last week. Thank goodness for the camera phone... ( Where's Wally (the kit) ) (1 Comment |Comment on this)
7:38 am [loganberrybunny]	Not the greatest start to the 2007 season... Rabbiteering 2007 started a little before six o'clock this morning. The weather was reasonable - misty and chilly but dry - but a potentially serious problem has presented itself. The important field is not being built on or anything like that, but the necessary quiet approach is currently impossible. You see... ...the Lane Warren, the one that until now had been the most reliably peaceful at dawn, can only be reached along one lane1 and a couple of hundred yards before getting there I have to pass a large house and garden. Unlike last year, there are now three Newfoundland dogs in there, which bark very long and very loud every embleer time anyone walks past. Unsurprisingly, there were no rabbits around when I got to the warren field. I can hardly go to the owners of the house and say, "Could you please put your dogs in the back garden so I can watch rabbits in peace?" since I doubt they'd be all that well disposed towards such a request! So unless these dogs learn/are trained not to make such a racket - which for now seems unlikely - I'm seriously handicapped in observing this particular warren. As I say, not a particularly fantastic start to the year. =:/ 1Actually there is another route, but it involves a huge detour (of several miles!) and I just don't have the time to do that on a normal morning's outing. Current Mood: discontent (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, August 25th, 2006
1:56 am [loganberrybunny]	Rabbit Report 59 - A bits'n'pieces summer This is my first Rabbit Report since June, an eventuality I didn't expect back then, but unfortunately there just hasn't been enough happening to make it worthwhile to write a full RR. However, what I can do is to lump several outings together and give a general picture of how the local lapine population is getting on. =:) Overall, it's been a slight improvement from last year and 2004, though still not as outstanding as that wonderful summer of 2003. All three of my main warrens (Road, Lane And Forest) seem still to be thriving, albeit with relatively low populations, and none have suffered the sad fate that enteirah reported in his post here earlier this month. As usual, horses grazing in two of the fields have made lengthy observation rather difficult, but I've seen enough to reassure me. The Lane Warren is the smallest in terms of population - I've not seen more than three rabbits there at a time - but also the most relaxing to watch from, since there's very little traffic and in the morning the sun is behind me allowing easy viewing. Here too the rabbits seem the boldest, happily silflaying even when I stand in full view by the gate a matter of a few yards distant. The Road Warren is noisier, with an irritatingly inquisitive equine population, but more populous; five or six rabbits can usually be seen of a morning. This one is much closer to houses, so care needs to be taken with the binoculars, but the warren seems to be thriving. Certainly the farm cats consider it worth stalking around there - this is not altogether a good thing, of course! =:P Finally, the Forest Warren. This is more overgrown than it used to be, and is probably more suited these days to deer than rabbits, but a few hardy souls are still clinging on, though they do seem extremely shy. I get the feeling that this place will be cleared up a bit before long, though hopefully that won't be done in any excessive manner, as the edge of the forest is part of a National Nature Reserve. Anyway, there's an overview of how things are going at my local warrens: quietly for the most part, but also generally calmly and steadily, which can't be all bad. Current Mood: calm (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, August 21st, 2006
9:09 am [befrafa]	A small thing to be aware of. Probably nothing to start panicking over, but I thought I ought to just mention this: Young farmer dies of rabbit flu Something to remember when being around wild (well, I'm assuming it was wild, but it actually doesn't say) rabbits. Current Mood: uncomfortable (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Friday, August 4th, 2006
12:56 am [enteirah]	Partly a news update, and partly just a general group comment. First off those who remember my reports will remember me listing two warrens as regular points of watch. It is sad to say, a long expected and much opposed housing development recently began in the area, a very short distance from The Warren of the Many. Whilst this doesn't *directly* affect my own warren, I do know the nearby land which has now been churned up to a soiled mess was home to at least a few. It seems very much like a scene from Watership Down come to life there, and I've not a clue how it will have affected the balance of rabbits in the wider area (I'm presuming there'd be some movers from those displaced). My heart has truly joined the thousand, for my friends stopped running today. =:( That bit of bad news aside, it dawned on me when messing with some profile settings on the group earlier that there aren't many rabbit reports going up from anyone this year, which seems a bit odd given all the hot weather we've been having at least in the UK. o.o I am a bit disappointed not to be able to get out myself really, but those who know me will already know why that's being a holdup this summer. I still take great delight in always reading everyone else's reports though, even if I cant always think of a reply, so if you do see any rabbits out there keep 'em coming. You'll make this one very happy. Lets just hope there aren't many bits of the sad like above. ~ Entei-rah, Community Maintainer Current Mood: sad (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, July 3rd, 2006
5:18 pm [ashoemaker]	Hello fellow rabbiteers! Horray! A group of people with whom I can share my random comments of joy at seeing a rabbit nibbling grass while on a walk, or one spotted on my way home from work, wisely staying out of the road as I pass. Not that my partner minds hearing them either -- fortunately he seems pleasantly amused by my stories. My favorite bunny memory was watching one earing dandilions flowers in my back yard. The rabbit would hop over to one and bite off the stem at the base. *munch* *munch* *munch* ... with the stem sticking out of his mouth like a farmer with a piece of hay, he ate up the whole stalk. After finishing off the flower, he moved on to the next one. Too cute! Who needs weed chemicals when you have rabbits around?? BTW, my default LJ icon here is from a photo I took my front yard a few years ago. =:) (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Saturday, June 3rd, 2006
5:56 am [loganberrybunny]	Rabbit Report 58 - The return! It's been so, so long, and for a while this spring I feared the local warrens might even be teetering on the brink of extinction... but some nice weather pulled me outside before 5am today, and Frith am I glad I went. Nothing spectacular to report, but at the Forest Warren I saw three bounding bunnies, two fallow deer - but no partridges, in pear trees or otherwise. =:P On my way home, however, I walked past the gate along the lane where I stop to take in the view sometimes... and there were three more rabbits playing around and nibbling at the grass on the edge of the pasture! Naturally I stayed and watched for a while as the sun rose behind me (the direction meaning I could use the binoculars sensibly), and was rewared by one of the bunnies deciding then would be an excellent time to do a good bit of grooming, washing and ear-combing. =:) I only dragged myself away when the rabbits lolloped off into a patch of such long grass that I could only see the tips of their ears at all! =:P So, could this be the start of a renaissance in my rabbiteering? I want to go off to the Road Warren one evening when the weather's nice (and those embleer horses aren't going to pester me), and if that comes off then I might even be able to get some photos as well. Stay tuned to find out! Current Mood: happy (Comment on this)
Tuesday, November 8th, 2005
2:44 pm [befrafa]	Bunwatch - Cwningeningod yng Nghymru This is a pretty old Bunwatch, but here it is anyway. Quite some time ago now, I went to look at a warren in a...*coughs* playing field in Wales...however, I was disappointed, when I got there, to find no sign of any rabbits at all, despite there having been some on the previous visit. (Perhaps they were off playing rugby. =;)) Still, wandering on a bit further, I went into a second-hand bookshop, and on looking out of the window saw...rabbits! They were across the road, and on the other side of a large river, so I had to use binoculars to see them...nonetheless, it was obvious that there were lots of them! Well, thirteen at least. There were four or five in one field, popping in and out of the hedge-line, and also some in the field above, as well as one grazing in the gateway to the lower field. The rabbits in the lower field seemed to be most interested in eating and resting than the others (who were running around all the time) and one even sunbathed for a few minutes, prompting another to go and sniff it curiously. After that, I noticed that there were also some rabbits towards the bottom of the adjacent field - most were grazing, but two were playing a game of tail-tag, going round and round in circles. =:D Another rabbit from this field obviously decided it wanted a change, and ran into the next field, where it got into a bit of a chase with a rabbit that was already grazing there. I don't know whether this was something to do with dominance, or just play, but it soon settled down, and the two rabbits began to graze near each other. I watched them for a little while longer, but the sun eventually went in, and the rabbits went with it, and in any case, our viewing point was quite exposed. Still, from what could have been a completely rabbitless day, it'd turned into a pretty good Bunwatch... Current Mood: determined (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Saturday, September 17th, 2005
1:37 am [loganberrybunny]	Rabbit Report 57 - Nostalgia mark 2 This Rabbit Report is a week out of date, for which I apologise, but last weekend I had a very pleasant hour at the same "old" warren mentioned in RR 56. With the mornings getting darker now it may well be the last time this year that I get a reasonably long stay there, so I was pleased that it was a rewarding one. =:) The horses had been moved off to another field for a while, which helped a lot as it meant that I could hang around without worrying that they'd wander over and scare off the rabbits. =:P As for bunny-related action, there was actually probably more than I've seen anywhere else this summer. =:) It was slightly misty, which made it hard to tell exactly what was going on, but there were a couple of fine examples of ping-turning, which always scares the living daylights out of said rabbits' silflaying companions! =;) And something nicely reminiscent of last year was the big old buck who seemed to take it as a personal insult that the juicy dandelions didn't come over to him. =:P And finally, finally, finally - the first time this year, would you believe? - a calm young rabbit actually decided to do a bit of combing of his ears where I could actually watch properly. =:) I don't know what it is about ear-combing, but it fascinates me and I must have spent eight or ten minutes watching. Doesn't sound long, but actually it's quite a while to be looking at exactly the same thing, and I was slightly surprised that the rabbit in question took so much time over it. Maybe he was going to a party later on. =;) A couple of buzzards, but nothing excessive; more crows this time. Certainly the rabbits weren't worried either by them or by me standing around a short distance away; it's so nice when you can stand and watch them without their dashing off the second you appear. =:) They did eventually lollop away into the undergrowth past the shed in the corner of the field, but by that time I'd had about the best rabbiteer of the year, so I wasn't bothered. =:) And finally... *looks plaintive* is anyone else going to post? Please? =:/ Current Mood: tired (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, August 16th, 2005
10:44 pm [loganberrybunny]	Rabbit Report 56 - Nostalgia About time I put another RR up here, seeing as it's now a month and a half since RR55 appeared. Though what's maybe more worrying is that it's over a month since any other posts in this community. Come on, people: I can't believe that no-one has seen anything this summer. Please don't let this place become moribund. =:/ Anyway, back to my own report. I managed to get out to the "old" warren this morning, and despite the fact that sunrise isn't now until about ten to six, had quite a reasonable time. =:) As is usually the case, the rabbits were concentrated down the slope at the end of the field, which was annoying since that's where the two horses that also live there like to graze. Luckily, however, they stayed out of the way most of the time today. The light wasn't all that good, but I think there was one big old Bigwig-type buck (though with less scarring =:P ), two outskirter types along the edge of the field, and one kitten of maybe three or four months old. I was particularly happy to see this kitten do one of those great "ping-turns" and scare the life out of "Bigwig" a few feet away; he bolted like anything for a second or so. =;P The rabbits here must be very confident of their ability to reach cover quickly, as there were a lot of buzzards around; the most I've heard this summer. There were no alarms while I was there though, and as ever it was lovely to stand in full view watching the rabbits without causing them to run away. =:) One of the "outskirters" even seemed to know I liked watching them grooming and ear-combing since he gave me quite a display! =;) I stayed around 45 minutes this morning, before most of the rabbits wandered off out of view, but I did manage to get in one further bunny-spot on my way home, when a rather wide-eyed rabbit (not quite to hare standards, but close) burst across the corner of the adjacent field before stopping right on the edge, obligingly just in range of my binoculars. All in all, not a bad morning's work at all. =:) Current Mood: thirsty (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Wednesday, July 13th, 2005
7:53 pm [chronogenic]	Well, it was an eventful bunny day for me! To start with, I'll give you a description of the terrain. I live in coastal California desert, a mere five miles from the beach. The beach land naturally fades directly into desert, and I live right by a small canyon. I hike there often, but the brush is so thick that the only time I see the wild rabbits is when they're hanging out on the hiking trail. American desert rabbits are leaner and smaller than their European cousins, and have beautiful silky brown coats with fluffy white undertails. I usually see them at dusk, and that's when I go out walking with my dog. She's on a four-foot leash that I keep wrapped securely around my hand so that she's right by my side. She's a peaceful, non-barking dog but she's also a standard poodle, and they were bred to hunt. Today on my walk I saw three rabbits, two adults and one kit. One adult was crossing the path to go graze on the other side, and he held his ground as I approached. When I was 20 feet away, he bolted into the brush. He was a gorgous rabbit. The second one I saw was a tiny little kit, relaxing in the shade under a bush. He bolted sooner than the other one did, but I got a good look at him and he was very adorable. The third bunny let us get closer before bolting, maybe ten feet. He was very brave, but eventually thumped and ran. I wouldn't typically have walked towards any of them, but they were ahead of me on the road. We also heard several more in the bushes =:3 (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Saturday, July 2nd, 2005
5:57 am [loganberrybunny]	Rabbit Report 55 - Past halfway Now that the days are starting to get shorter again, I'm just beginning to be conscious of the fact that the rabbiteering season has only so much time left to run. It's not anywhere near its end yet, of course, but the wonderful mornings when I can get out of the house before 4.30 won't last forever. A little damp on this particular morning, but not actually raining so that wasn't too bad. Mind you, the rabbits themselves didn't seem all that keen to co-operate. I saw a grand total of two this morning, which is a fairly pathetic return even by this year's standards. One middle-aged buck who couldn't stop staring at me and kept turning back every time I moved a muscle - not out of fear I don't think, but more a matter of plain old nosiness. =:P And the other was a kitten from one of this year's early litters - three months old or so I'd guess - who in the way of most kittens wasn't frightened of anything much and didn't care about things if they didn't stop him eating. =:P Actually, the most common animals encountered today were... er... slugs. =:S No hedgehogs that I could see, though. On a rather more attractive note, just on the edge of the forest there was a disturbance in a tree to my right and I looked up just in time to see a Tawny Owl fly across the path in front of me. =:) That's the second owl I've seen in a couple of weeks, but this sighting was even more interesting since it was in daylight. I didn't manage to see anything else interesting (such as the young fallow deer buck that was chewing up a nearby hedge last week), but I've had worse outings; at least I did see those two bunnies. On my way home I didn't see any more rabbits, but did hear a pair of buzzards mewing; this is encouraging, actually, since if they're bothering to come down there to look for rabbits then there must be a reasonable number still. =:) Current Mood: tired (Comment on this)
Friday, June 24th, 2005
5:54 pm [chronogenic]	Hello, everyone. I'm new here, but I love rabbits with a passion. They're intellegent, quirky, fastidious, and adorable. I'm lucky enough to live near a canyon, and there are several warrens hidden along the hiking trail. At dusk I often walk my rabbit-friendly dog nearby and watch them. They're amazingly brave and I love to watch them. They are wary of my dog and I, and they do keep a distance. Some have approached up to ten feet away. It's a great opportunity and I'm glad other people are so fascinated by them. I have a personal goal and maybe it can be helped along here. My domesticated buck often throws rocks at people, and I have a feeling it's a dominance display. You know, because rabbits are feirce little warriors but lack antlers and such to show off. Like a warning to other bucks. I have no proof, it's just an idea. I was wondering if anyone had seen them out in the wild doing that. Wild rabbits actually have played a big part in my life. I was hospitalised for depression when I was younger, and the only cheer there was the warren of wild rabbits that lived in the outer area of the building. I could often see them from my windows, and was even lucky enough to see kits! Rabbits really made it all so much easier. I'm looking forward to reading the entries further. (10 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, June 18th, 2005
11:29 pm [loganberrybunny]	Rabbit Report 54 - Midsummer madness To celebrate the happy coincidence of the nice weather and the approaching solstice, I was out of the house at 3.55 this morning. It was warm enough to walk in a T-shirt, and in fact the closeness of the pre-dawn and the rather heavy air meant that it was uncomfortable to walk too fast. I had plenty of time, though, and was pleased to see a rabbit silflaying in the grounds of the first farm on my route, the first time I'd seen one there this year. Down on the edge of the forest, I went to my usual viewing place by a small and slightly overgrown garden-cum-field, but surprisingly no rabbits were in evidence; perhaps they weren't too happy about the humidity either. However, a little way along the path I did manage to catch sight of two medium-sized bunnies having a bit of a dawn play, which is always something nice to see. =:) No actual pinging - that's been in short supply this year, regrettably - but they did have the nice bouncy quality to their movements that you get in a contented rabbit. =:) A fairly long walk deeper in the forest followed, which did not produce any rabbits but did produce several deer, a fox, a buzzard, and (by hearing only) a few owls and possibly an otter. Then, back to a bridge over a track and I spotted a single yearling rabbit idly hopping down the path, stopping every few yards to have a nibble at the vegetation along the edges. I watched him for a while until he disappeared around the corner, and then it was time to go home. I was back inside before six, despite having spent a good long time outside. Current Mood: content (1 Comment |Comment on this)