Hares and wheatears (but not on the Common)

Maundy Thursday, very warm, slightly hazy. Having seen a couple of hares on Sunday when I didn't have my camera, I took myself  for a walk round the footpaths off Sandy Lane in the hope of getting a photo or two. I was initially disappointed, although I did find a brimstone butterfly for the survey, near the old graveyard.

But then, walking down Sandy Lane back towards the village I noticed a couple of birds on the brown earth of the field on the southern side. Closer inspection revealed they were wheatears - very good. A bit too far off for a decent photo, but here's what I got anyway.

Then I noticed a hare in the field which is planted with a cereal crop on the other side of the road. Having seen one, I realised there were two, and then I counted five! Four were chasing each other: not quite mad March hares, but clearly being aggressive. The fifth, which I imagine was a female watching proceedings, stayed some way off. Again, they were not close enough to get a particularly good picture, but this is the best of the ones I took.

The wildlife survey is taking off now, with a good few reports coming in. I saw my first speckled wood butterfly of the year in St. James's churchyard, so that's another one on the list. We've now had at least one report of everything we're looking at, except swifts. So who can see the first of those this year?