Lent Lilies and the Mad March Hare

The Mad March Hare

Daffodils at Durdle Door

March is upon us, the shops are full of chocolate eggs and hot cross buns (although the buns seem to be available all year nowadays) and there is plenty of colour and activity in the countryside.The recent bitterly cold northeasterly winds have served their purpose by drying the paths after a particularly wet winter.

Out on the hillsides and in the light woodland around Wiltshire hares can be seen 'boxing', hence the term 'Mad March Hare'. For centuries it was thought that these were males competing for the favours of females, but we now know that these are actually unreceptive females fighting off the advances of over amorous males!

Wild daffodils are now blooming in significant numbers adding a welcome splash of bright colour to the scene. As Lent runs though most of March the traditional old name for wild daffodils (or more correctly Narcissi) is the Lent Lily.