Good Form

[mondhasen]

In spring and fall, rabbits use a grass or weed shelter called a "form." The form is a nestlike cavity on the surface of the ground, usually made in dense cover. It gives the rabbit some protection from weather, but is largely used for concealment.*

Veterans Day was rainy and dreary here. As I walked with The Huntress out back I wondered where the deer and bunnies were hunkering down in the wet chill. Musing, I surveyed the brush and I realized there could be animals looking back and I probably couldn't see them with their protective coloration and natural shrewdness... And there I saw a lone rabbit watching me!

This critter was near to the dog's fence, about ten feet from the dog! The Huntress sensed it (that actually gave me the clue to look carefully into the woods) but she didn't see what I did. I watched the bunny for a bit, its fur all damp as it hunched in its form, and decided I shouldn't bother it or I might frighten it off. This was the first time I've ever seen a rabbit in its form, other than the babies the dog dug out.

I've returned to the spot several times over the past couple of days and the rabbit is still 'at home.' Being crepuscular she probably leaves around dusk, but I see her back later in the morning.

I've wanted to get her picture and I finally got a shot of her today! I also included a shot of my auto-focus nightmare due to all the branches.








*The best 'form' description I could find in a hurry: from http://icwdm.org/handbook/mammals/CottontailRabbits.asp

Comments

[porsupah.livejournal.com]

Oh, how neat! Certainly, it's rare to be able to see them in that kind of setting, though hereabouts, they're more inclined to simply go underground in inclement weather.

For that kind of shot, indeed, about the only way to really get perfect focus is going manual - of course, that also entails a good dash of luck, unless you're using a mirrorless camera, in which case you can (much more readily) adjust focus while zoomed right in. Though, I've had good fortune with even the AF on the D7100, though I do still sometimes wish the AF points were smaller still - but then, I suppose that would also mean them not being as good in lower light. =:/

[mondhasen.livejournal.com]

She was there again this morning when I checked, glaring at me through the brush. I'm glad she feels safe, even near the pup (and with me always peeking at her).

I love this device, a Fujifilm S1800 bridge camera, I don't use a tenth of its features. I wanted a high (at the time) pixel camera with good telephoto capabilities. Everything else was "oh, okay."

And I love the cloud age: my son has lost my usb cable for the camera so I merely pull the memory card, put it in a borrowed laptop with a reader, and presto! I open the card, put the pics on the desktop, save them to google photos, and open them on the iPad. Then I download the ones I like, and move on :o)