Mountain hare (Lepus timidus), Findhorn Valley, Cairngorms. Changing from winter to summer coat after snow has melted in April.
The Cairngorms are a stronghold for mountain hares, which unlike lowland brown hares, turn white in winter. Early April is a good time to photograph them, as the snow melts just before they moult their winter coats. For a couple of weeks, this makes the normally well camouflaged mountain hares very easy to see. The population on the steep slopes around Findhorn Valley is quite accustomed to people, enabling us to approach them on foot. This individual was relatively untroubled by our presence, as it groomed, washed its ears, stretched and finally yawned whilst I made a series of images using a 500mm lens.
Size: 3456px × 2304px
Location: Findhorn Valley, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland
Photo credit: © Robert Harvey / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: cairngorm, camouflage, coat, hare, lepus, melt, moult, mountain, pelage, season, snow, timidus, winter
