Wednesday, July 16, 2014

A Friendly Rabbit Pays a Visit

    I went out to my back yard about 7:00 PM to get some lettuce and was surprised to see a white tailed jack rabbit lounging comfortably on the grass. My visitor did not move until I was within 3 m (10 ft) and then reluctantly rose ,stretched and made a couple of hops and sat down again. This told me that the visitor wanted photographs taken so appropriate poses were made by the visitor.




    Later I looked out the window and the visitor was having a healthy meal of chard. Before I could get out with the camera the visitor decided to have a course of grass.

   The hare that I'm showing you is rather large and can weigh up to 4.5 kg (9.5 lb). Only the Arctic and Alaskan hares are larger. They are adapted to open plains with brush.  They have become quite used to city life and do well in the parks and yards

41 comments:

  1. Ah ! Red. Well it WAS a nicely arranged garden, I guess the white tailed Jack Rabbit / Hare approved. Sure is a big fellow.Is a Jack Rabbit a member of the hare family?
    Are you permitted to shoot them for invasion of private vegetable gardens? After all they are good to eat.

    Weather situation here: Unpredictable to the extreme.
    Last night again some steady stuff from above, hardly flood productive, but I wish it would send down some more. With the present price of water, courtesy of our hopeless Brisbane Council, lawns are suffering. So all we can hope for is "Huey" and his generous deliverance from above.

    Brisbane has the highest water rates in this country - but the dams to supply are over 100% full. Go figure that????
    Tomorrow it is supposed (??) to be rainy - time will tell.
    Cheers and I do hope your lovely fresh food vegetable garden survives.
    Colin (Brisbane. Australia)

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    1. There's so little damage from these guys that 99% of people would never see it. It is a member of the hare family. They can be shot and they are good to eat. I would think very few are ever shot and very few ever eaten. Check my link for all the info on these critters.

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  2. Wow! Nice pic! I've never seen such a lazy hare! He won't be so welcome if he finds your garden!

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    1. They do very little damage to gardens. it would not be noticeable. They've become quite used to people.

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  3. What a sight. It is enormous. It can't be doing your vegetable plot much good.

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    1. They seem to prefer grass to garden stuff.

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  4. Having seen your beautiful garden I'd be very reluctant to share it with such a voracious chap.

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    1. They seem to prefer grass to garden stuff. They can eat an awful lot of grass.

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  5. Wow, that's a big fella. I hope your garden will survive his munchings.

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    1. They re large but do very little damage to gardens. they prefer grass.

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  6. I will bet they do well in cities and rural gardens!! That beastie can finish your garden off in just a few days. Do NOT encourage him or he will stare at you soulfully through the patio window as you eat your salad.

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    1. These guys rarely touch your garden and then you wouldn't know it.

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  7. Sounds like Jack Rabbit has found the "friendly" farmer's backyard patch. Maybe it is one of the babies that were born there last year?

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    1. The rotters you have munch on gardens. These rarely do.

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  8. I have been seeing a rabbit in my subdivision lately early in the mornings when I leave for work. I pretend his name is hopper :)

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  9. What a friendly, handsome fellow! Much fun!

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  10. Even from a photo I can see that your visitor is a goliath compared to our skittish little bunnies here. He looks like he's found a good spot at your house.

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    1. Your little beasts are about 1/4 the size.

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  11. How nice it gets to eat such good food, with a friendly host as well. Thanks for the great pictures, I've never seen one so big in anything but pictures, though. :-)

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    1. These don't seem to relish gardens. You wouldn't notice any damage.

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  12. Replies
    1. They can give you a rather indignant stare. They have attitude.

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  13. Replies
    1. Just the same as the jack rabbits you have.

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  14. That is a huge rabbit! Thanks for sharing I love taking pictures of rabbits I can get pretty close to them in my yard to.

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    1. They seem to becoming more accustomed to humans all the time.

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  15. Wow, so huge! We have many of these critters hopping through our garden regularly, but I don't think I've seen one this big yet.

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    1. You have a much smaller bunny...about 1/4 the size. You have these characters too but only in some areas.

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  16. That big guy can eat you out of house and home.

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  17. I don't think our hares get this big. They are the same kind as yours but I suppose the chard is more nourishing out West!

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    1. No, you have little guys about 1/4 the size.

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  18. Wow, he's big! I don't think I've seen any jack rabbits. The rabbits around here are pretty small and shy.

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    1. Yes, your bunnies area about 1/4 the size of these.

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  19. I love rabbits/hares. He's probably quite certain he could out hop you if need be. I'm glad you're bunny friendly at your place. They're rather harmless, eh?

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    1. I agree. They are harmless. These guys only hop at the last second.

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  20. And I'm glad you got some pics of him. He might be gone by tomorrow. You know what they say.. "Hare today, gone tomorrow." ;)

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    1. I knew I could depend on you for some word play. Good one!

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