2 answers for the price of one!

Yes, I can do 140 characters of post! Now, do I want to...?

The hare in question was one of the six I saw last night when I went for my walk.

I like to go for a walk along the farm tracks, go under one bridge, walk along by the side of the motorway, over the next bridge and back home: it's about 1½ to 1¾ hours with plenty of ups & downs and there's a wood one field away from the track by the motorway, so an ideal opportunity to startle deer and hares!

I was strolling along and happened to look down at the verge, and there was a hare crouched down 3' to 4' away from me.

I was mesmerised; he looked as though he was hypnotised, so I risked trying to get my camera out...

Oops!

I can see why "haring" ["hareing" looks better, but apparently is not] is used to describe extreme scarpering!