A beach bunny appears — a bit early for Easter

Thursday, April 7, 5:30 p.m.-ish.

The fog was so thick it obscured everything in the bay at Ashbridge’s. Only the nearest boats, now back at the yacht clubs from their winter’s hibernation, were visible. The far shore, where the path heads out to the point at the end of the peanut? Disappeared, along with everything else. Everywhere just dense, chilling fog rolling over the path, the grass and over the hill towards Woodbine beach.

The cottonwoods along the ridge? Mere ghosts.

I was walking along the footpath slowly and ever so quietly, hoping to see the kingfishers, knowing that they can hear a footfall from many metres away. I thought I might get lucky and get a shot of them perched in the poplars by the shore, where they sit in the evening on low branches hunting for fish to catch.

Then I saw movement on the path and froze. Around the bend, almost obscured by the sere husks of last season’s vegetation, was a rabbit, nibbling on a stalk.

I couldn’t believe my good fortune, as I have rarely seen rabbits at the beach. On those few times I did,  it has always been at nightfall on hot  summer evenings. In the crepuscular gloom, it has been  impossible to get a useable photo.

But this time, there was enough light to get a clear picture.

After checking a few resources, I think my little lagomorph friend is an eastern cottontail, Sylvilagus floridanus. I was surprised at the redness of his fur, and how marvellous his camouflage — at least during spring. When things start to green up a bit  — will they ever? — he won’t blend in as much with his surroundings.  (And how much better a photo it would make!) But then there will be so much more vegetation around to conceal him as he goes about his nightly search for food.

There’s rarely a perfect photo op. We amateur shooters have to take what we can get, some times.

© BCP 2011