Roll up, roll up for nature’s version of Bruno versus Tyson on a remote Suffolk island, as the RSPB invites you to watch boxing hares on their Havergate Island nature reserve over the weekend of Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 April 2010.

The Havergate’s hares weekend is a unique opportunity to get extremely close to one of the UK’s most popular mammals. The event begins with a short boat ride from Orford Quay to Havergate Island, where RSPB guides will take visitors on a tour of the island, searching for many of its special inhabitants, before returning to Orford Quay. The whole event lasts four hours.

RSPB spokesman, Ian Barthorpe, said, “Havergate is a special place. It’s one of the easiest places to watch brown hares, and with luck you’ll see them boxing. Don’t worry though, they’re not fighting. The boxing contests are actually part of courtship, with females fending off the advances of amorous males.

“It’s not just about hares though. There are several observation hides offering views across the lagoons, where you should spot gulls, ducks and wading birds, including the avocet which famously re-colonised the UK on Havergate, and at nearby Minsmere, in 1947. I love simply crunching through the shingle or gazing over the open landscape towards Orford Castle and Orfordness.”

Places are limited on this event, so advance booking and payment are essential. Boats depart Orford Quay at 9.30 am and 10.30 am each day. Tickets cost £15 per person, or £12 for RSPB members, and should be reserved by calling the Minsmere visitor centre on 01728 648281.

1. The RSPB speaks out for birds and wildlife, tackling the problems that threaten our environment. Nature is amazing – help us keep it that way. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no 207076, Scotland no SC037654.

2. RSPB Havergate Island is accessible only via an RSPB boat from Orford Quay. Regular trips depart Orford at 10 am on the first Saturday of each month. Additional trips will be run to coincide with special events, such as Havergate’s Hares. For full details, see www.rspb.org.uk/havergateisland, or contact the RSPB Minsmere visitor centre on 01728 648281.

3. Brown hares are widespread in the UK, but declining in many areas. They favour open habitats such as farmland. Boxing hares can be seen throughout the breeding season, although the behaviour is most common in spring, giving rise to the term Mad March hares, as used by Lewis Carroll in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

4. Hares were introduced to Havergate in the 19th century as food for the farmers then living on the island, and have thriving on the sparsely vegetated island.

5. RSPB Minsmere is open daily. The visitor centre opens from 9 am to 5 pm. The RSPB Shop is open 10 am to 5 pm. The tearoom is open 10 am to 4.30 pm. Entry to the visitor centre is free. There is a charge for non-members to use the nature trails and birdwatching hides.