Local bunnies are quickly changing their winter coats for brown ones these days. Though they may still be streaked with white above their noses and along their backsides, soon the snowshoe hares will be wearing solid brown. Make that, solid chocolate brown.
Actually, it’s more like tawny brown. But let’s not split hares.
Why you ask? Well, it’s neither because brown is the new white in the Spring fashion world. Nor is it because Peter Rabbit wore brown in Beatrix Potter’s children’s books. Though naughty as he was, he did look quite charming.
They’re not wearing brown because the snow has *finally* disappeared from our neck of the woods and with it, all winter season apparel.
No, the reason why the local hares are wearing brown this week is because the daylight hours are getting longer. Snowshoe hares have the most sensitive of eyes when it comes to differences in light. Perhaps this is why they respond so readily with a change in fur color in spring and fall.
And since Easter takes place in late April this year, I’m sure the Easter Bunny will also be wearing a tawny coat. However, in years when Easter takes place in March, he may very well be wearing white. It’s all about camouflage with bunnies, whether they’re keeping a hop ahead of predators or sneaking around to hide Easter eggs.
Wondering where the best places might be to hide eggs in the yard.
Hoppy Easter to all!
Text and photographs copyright Amy-Lynn Bell 2014
Flandrum Hill 
Happy Easter Amy-Lynn! I enjoyed this very much, a delightful addition to this Easter week 🙂
Same to you Colleen. Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
So nice to see you springing up after a loooooong winter! I like the rabbits very much. I’ve been wondering about something. I’ve learned that many living things seem to respond to changes in light more than to changes in temperature. Since the amount of light changes inexorably without regard to temperature (at least so far – imagine if THAT changed!) – doesn’t that mean that critters/plants are often ready for a season that is not ready for them? (Brown hares haring away from the fox across deep snow, cherry blossoms freezing in an unseasonable May . . . )
And then there’s this: a friend who is an avid gardener in SE Michigan (Farmington Hills, to be exact) observes that plants in her garden are not all on the same page in this regard. It isn’t so much, she says, that everything is blooming later (or earlier) than it used to, as it is that plants that used to bloom at the same time are blooming at different times from each other.
Now my thinker is tired. I’m going to go have a little nap.
Good grief Gerry! After that comment/question, I may need a nap myself!!!
What if… humans weren’t the only living things with a heightened visual sense. Despite the fact that some are more dependent on touch or hearing to clue in to what is going on around them, light still plays an important role with most. And what if… we all (plants included) had variances in our heightened abilities. Maybe some of the plants are more clued in than others. Just like some humans have better eyesight than others. Maybe we’d then bloom according to the sun more than any anything else. Given its size, there’s no under-estimating its influence.
I hope you were refreshed by your little nap. As a preschool teacher, I take great pride in my associates (usually aged 3-5) having a restful and rejuvenating nap-time. Key factors are the right type of quiet-time music (I highly recommend any movie themes by John Barry), the softness of the mat cover (100% cotton is ideal), and your physical position (on the tummy or the side is best).
Such a cute story – Happy Easter weekend to you, Amy-Lynn!
Reggie, these little creatures certainly are cute. Hope you have a Happy Easter too. I am looking forward to the long weekend 🙂
Oh Amy-Lynn those photos are wonderful !!! Just wish you managed to get photos of the herd of deer you visited your yard in the middle of the night. Those would have been marvellous ! And did you get a shot of the Beaver you saw while hiking on the Salt Marsh Trail ?
Sybil, it was a very photogenic bunny 🙂
Unfortunately, the herd of deer that visited the yard earlier this week and the beaver were seen in lighting all too dim to take a proper photograph.
What a lovely post, Amy-Lynn ! I love those hares. They look well fed and so cute with their fur changing colors. I have not seen hares in a long time. Those who live up in the mountains change their white fur later on. Right now the hares, rabbits, lapins I see around in town are brown, chocolate brown 😉 they taste sweet too.
Happy Easter to you and yours, dear Amy-Lynn.
I love them those hares too Isabelle 🙂 Except for when I see them eating the shoots from my lilies! Hopefully the dandelions will be up soon and that will keep them satisfied.
What could be tastier than a Swiss chocolate rabbit? Or a Swiss chocolate anything for that matter!
Happy Easter to you too!
Hi Easter bunny
Have a good day
Have a good night
Thanks you