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

DSC_0028

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.DSC_0030

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.DSC_0029I 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.