Mountain (Arctic) Hare (Lepus timidus) in the Cairngorm Mountains, Highlands of Scotland

It was the sort of perfect winter’s day all too rare in the Scottish Highlands: clear blue sky and sunshine, coupled with absolutely no wind and a fresh snowfall. A careful approach resulted in this mountain hare ignoring me completely. Although it had chosen to make its form on the side of the hill that became increasingly shaded as the afternoon progressed, it derived maximum warmth from the angled sunlight by sitting upright to sunbathe.