The railway track borders are inhabited by rabbits for much of the stretch between Axbridge and Shute Shelve tunnel. In the border adjoining the horses' field lives a family of rabbits with distinctive white markings, the "BF" rabbits from posts passim.

Recapping: a few years ago, the railway rabbits in the horses' field were joined by a couple of white domestic runaways who interbred with the natives. The offspring were mostly brown with extensive white markings, including a white blaze on the nose. In the three subsequent generations (that we have observed) the extent of the white markings has shrunk and the latest generation has just a splash of white on the shoulder and the blaze on the nose.

Ngaio observed that, from a rabbit's perspective, a white blaze on the nose is somewhat unfortunate and speculated whether the other rabbits called it "Bumface". I'm saddened to relate that this appellation has persisted, albeit abbreviated to "BF".

BF rabbits seem acutely conscious of their high visibility. Where other rabbits often browse openly, unconcerned at one's passing by, BF rabbits invariably either dash for the burrow or hide in the grass. The only way to get a good look at a BF rabbit is through binoculars. That hasn't stopped us trying to get a photo but thus far we haven't been able to get anything usable.

We've been working on the latest BF, who we saw last year as a young 'un, telling him what a fine rabbit he is, etc, etc. This strategy, daft as it sounds, has paid off. BF is now prepared to sit and be photographed. And he is a fine rabbit. Or she is.