backyard nature

My policy concerning nature is to never interfere unless I must. Often I must. When our first nest of bunnies this year was found by our dog, my husband yelled at her to drop the (unharmed) bunny. I searched for an hour to find the nest and put the baby back where he belonged. I checked for a few days to be sure the mom was coming and going. Now there are tiny bunnies in every garden

The first bunny nest was behind the chairs in the jungle of plants.

The most recent bunny nest is out in the middle of the yard.

I found this nest before the dog did, and put a few layers of fence around it. Again, I checked for a few days so I knew the mother was visiting and feeding her babies, and I hadn’t scared her off with the fencing.

But this afternoon, we saw an adult bunny that had been killed by a car. We’re really hoping it’s not the mom of any babies.I put this marking over the nest, so I can tell tomorrow if mom has been by.  I’m really hoping she has, because I don’t want to be faced with a nest full of hungry babies.

THE NEXT DAY:  When I first checked the nest this morning, the X of straw was still there and I was crushed.  I assumed that the mom hadn’t been there. But then I checked the picture I had taken last night, and nothing was the same. The X wasn’t at right angles, as it is in the first picture. There was no visible fur, and that brown and green leaf was nearly buried. So if anyone ever is faced with a similar situation, taking a picture is a great idea. The changes are subtle.