Magical Mountain Hares!

Date: 16/03/2023
Category: General, Half Day Guided Wildlife Walks

Magical Mountain Hares – a short blog on our most successful Mountain Hare walk season to date

During the early months of 2022 we debuted our first guided Mountain Hare walks, a species I’m passionate about and one I wanted desperately to share with others.

Lying low – a close up Mountain Hare

I ran these in an area of the Dark Peak I was familiar with and where I’d always seen Hares in Winter but, whilst the walks went well and Mountain Hares were seen at distance, they just no longer seemed to be present in the type of numbers they had been previously (these anecdotal observations seem to tally with the results of an official survey that took place during that winter that showed Hare numbers falling on the grouse moors to the East of their range but staying stable on areas on blanket bog). A bit of exploration and a new location was needed.

Visits to a new area further to the NW in December showed potential with Hares seen but it wasn’t until another wonderful scouting visit in early January (where a fantastic eight different Hares were seen) that I was really sold on the area – we just needed the weather to play ball and largely it did (with the exception of what was to be our last private walk of the season where over 13 inches of snow blanketed the area).

Red Grouse were plentiful and always entertaining

In total we ran five guided walks this year and Mountain Hares were seen well on all of them (see below for a few stats) with generally excellent scope views for all our guests. Red Grouse were ever present and hugely entertaining. Kestrel, Raven and Skylark all put in regular appearances. Golden Plover, returning to the high tops, treated us to some fantastic views in our later walks but the big surprise was fabulous views of a stunning Ermine (a Stoat that turns white in winter) hunting just a few metres from our delighted guests. A first for all of us!

We also rolled out our ‘Discover Mountain Hares’ group walks (maximum of 6 people) for the first time this year – shorter versions of our private tours where we spent time looking for tracks and signs of Hares as well as looking for the animals themselves – they proved extremely popular with both being fully attended.

Smiling on – visibility could be a problem but we still managed to find Hares on all walks!

These are definitely something we will be doing again next year and with some fantastic conditions experienced whilst trialling our walks in January we may also look to get our season underway a little earlier too.

Total number of walks: 5

Total number of guests: 20

Total number of Mountain Hares seen: 24 (average = 4.8 per walk)

Whilst we have had a great season overall and saw plenty of Hares, all is not well with our Peak Mountain Hares..

The latest survey of the Peak Hare population gave a figure of c3,500. It may sound like a lot but our Mountain Hare’s are definitely under pressure – from climate change (long hot summers affecting grazing and Leveret survival) and disturbance to increasing road fatalities on our busy Pennine passes. Added to this our Hares are an isolated ‘island’ population so have no chance of recruiting more animals from elsewhere. More research and more help is desperately needed for this iconic Peak District species.

Very few conservation charities focus specifically on Mountain Hare’s (or Brown Hare’s) but two of the best are:

The Hare Preservation Trust

http://hare-preservation-trust.com/

The Peoples Trust For Endangered Species (PTES)

https://ptes.org/

Please check out their websites and if possible give a little to a worthy Hare related cause – helping our Peak Mountain Hare’s to continue to delight all who see them!

What Our Visitors Say ...

"I had a half-day walk with Antony, hoping to see a Ring Ouzel, and to see Waders in their nesting habitat. I achieved both of these, and saw several other good birds as well, including an owl and several Pied Flycatchers (another first for me). Anthony was not only very knowledgeable but also good company, and I would recommend his walks for anyone who enjoys wildlife but would benefit from some local expertise."
Tim Bucknall - Dorset.

"Antony's guided tour began in Hartington, and included an upland area, Biggin Dale and Wolfscote Dale. This gave us experience of a great variety of habitats, and a chance to see lots of birds, including ravens, rooks, jackdaws, a peregrine falcon, wheatears and stonechats, dippers and wagtails and chiffchaffs. The weather was variable, but Antony made the whole tour really entertaining and informative. He is extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of nature, and birds in particular. Just as important, he is a very friendly and approachable guide, always willing to engage in discussion on any aspect of the area. We felt that, in addition to having a most interesting walk, we came away with really useful advice about how to observe birds on our future walks. The weather improved as we walked along the River Dove, and we were treated to some very special moments of bird observation, aided by Antony's telescope and tripod. We would highly recommend Antony to anyone keen to learn more about local wildlife as part of a most enjoyable walk in Derbyshire."
D & C Longson - Derbyshire.

"My mum and I had a fantastic bespoke walk with Antony around the Brassington area and Rose End Meadows in Cromford. Beautiful scenery, glorious sunshine and a wealth of interesting facts about the flowers, birds, insects and butterflies we met along the way. We had a truly magical time watching a Silver-washed Fritillary dancing and gliding around right in front of us for fifteen minutes. The walk was a birthday present for my mum and Antony took the time to find out what her specific interests and level of knowledge were in advance so that he could plan the route accordingly. He even sent us more information afterwards to confirm a couple of butterfly and dragonfly IDs. Antony really knows his stuff and his enthusiasm is infectious. He also has an unbelievable eye and ear for tiny creatures, plants and sounds that would have passed me by completely. A relaxing, hugely informative and very enjoyable day all round. Many thanks again, Antony!"
L Breakwell - Nottingham.

"Thank you ever so much for the Dawn Chorus experience last Saturday. Even though the weather was terrible we really enjoyed it. We all said would do it again regardless of the weather."
J Tagg - Derbyshire.

"Thoroughly enjoyed two fantastic nature walks with Antony in September 2020. Loved our walk on the Eastern Moors spotting moorland birds and lots and lots of red deer, just starting their rut. Our second walk was an early morning exploration of the very different habitat of the Derwent river and Cromford Canal. Spent ages watching a beautiful pair of dippers dabbling in the river, a streaking Kingfisher and tons of little Grebe diving in the clear water. Antony was an absolutely brilliant guide. He has amazing knowledge about every single species of bird, mammal and lots of plants across the Peak District and knows exactly where to find them. He has such a friendly and welcoming manner that you never feel you're not 'expert' enough and he patiently answers every question. I would thoroughly recommend a nature walk with Antony to get to know the Peak District through the eyes of a wildlife fan! Very best wishes and see you next spring!"
N Marshall - London.

"Antony was not only very knowledgeable about swifts but also provided valuable information to participants on the walks regarding support for the various swift habitats in their neighbourhood. Highly recommended."
D Howson - Derby.

"A great evening watching swifts, and learning about other local wildlife. The leader was very friendly and knowledgeable. He gave us lots of interesting information about swifts, and how we could help with their conservation. There was plenty of time to ask questions, and the walk was taken at a leisurely pace to enable everyone to keep up and get involved. A lovely evening stroll that everyone seemed to enjoy!"
H Naylor - Derbyshire.

Walking Tours In Derbyshire

Walking based wildlife tours in Derbyshire for up to 4 people (walks for larger groups can be arranged).
Walks to suit all abilities/fitness’s.
Full day, shorter and bespoke walks available.
Expert local guide.
Prices include use of optics and identification books/charts, a delicious packed lunch (full day walks only) and hot drinks.
Transport for up to 4 people available to and from accommodation.
5% of each booking will be donated to the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.

Navigation

Contact Us

Telephone:
07989 218860

Email:
info@naturalderbyshiretours.uk