Rabbit (30 feet up a tree!)

Hemel (BMT): How does the fur of a rabbit get 30ft up a tree?

Fur, ~30 feet up an Ash tree (point A in the photo below)

I love it when I come across these curious clues to the secret life of the woodland. And, even better when a small window into the wider ecosystem opens up. Many of the Trust’s sites have a very healthy rabbit population and, consequently, attract and sustain a fair few Common Buzzards.

When I was scouring the woodland at Lower Roughdown yesterday, I came upon the remains of a rabbit hanging in a low-growing Holly bush. Above it, high up on the branches of an Ash tree, I could see where the rabbit had been held down and its fur plucked. Wisps of fleece were quivering in the breeze. Who knows whether the rabbit was dropped on purpose or accidentally but having frequently come across ground-level plucking areas, it was interesting to see evidence of a bird choosing to prepare and devour its prey high up in a tree.

More on the Rabbits and Buzzards of Box Moor

Rabbits (alive ones): Week 15, Mammal: Whiskers not Whitethroats
Buzzards: Week 30: Frayed Fritillary, Painted Lady & Beautiful Buteo