We've always had a lot of rabbits around our house. When Connor was three he started naming them. There always seem to be three visible at one time so he thinks it's the same three rabbits...David Dot, John Carter and Kelly Martin. Yes, he came up with those names completely on his own and he swears he can tell who is who. Well, apparently Kelly has been getting it on with either David or John because yesterday we found baby bunnies buried in the mulch around the playset. There are four that we can see and they are huddled together in a shallow hole underneath the glider. Their eyes aren't even opened yet.
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Anyone who knows me well knows that I went into 'animal rescue' mode as soon as Carl told me that they saw them. I was a little concerned this morning when I went to check on them and they were uncovered. I was thinking...where's the mom, are they hot, are they cold, are they hungry, did she abandon them, is some bird going to eat them, do they mind the ants crawling all over them, is the sun going to cook them, would they prefer shade, is the mulch comfortable enough...and on and on and on. And anyone who knows me well knows that I went right into the house and found a wild rabbit rescue website to answer all of my questions. Apparently the mommy rabbit only visits them twice per day to nurse them, once right before dawn and then at night. She doesn't want to attract predators but she keeps an eye on them from a distance. I don't know...I think Kelly was slacking today because I didn't see her anywhere. Also, baby rabbits can die from the shock of being handled by humans...I knew not to touch them but I didn't know it could kill them! I also learned that 95% of wild rabbits die before 6 months of age...most at the hands (or claws) of predators such as hawks and cats. Well, not on my watch!
I placed the umbrella from the kids' sandtable over the spot where the bunnies are so that the crows and hawks flying above can't spot them. I kept watch all day...some hawks were circling. Connor kept telling me if the hawks were getting close. No crows though. My only worry now is the one or two stray cats around. They can squeeze through our fence. I can only hope that Kelly Martin is protecting them like any good mom would. I'll be checking on them first thing in the morning.
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Anyone who knows me well knows that I went into 'animal rescue' mode as soon as Carl told me that they saw them. I was a little concerned this morning when I went to check on them and they were uncovered. I was thinking...where's the mom, are they hot, are they cold, are they hungry, did she abandon them, is some bird going to eat them, do they mind the ants crawling all over them, is the sun going to cook them, would they prefer shade, is the mulch comfortable enough...and on and on and on. And anyone who knows me well knows that I went right into the house and found a wild rabbit rescue website to answer all of my questions. Apparently the mommy rabbit only visits them twice per day to nurse them, once right before dawn and then at night. She doesn't want to attract predators but she keeps an eye on them from a distance. I don't know...I think Kelly was slacking today because I didn't see her anywhere. Also, baby rabbits can die from the shock of being handled by humans...I knew not to touch them but I didn't know it could kill them! I also learned that 95% of wild rabbits die before 6 months of age...most at the hands (or claws) of predators such as hawks and cats. Well, not on my watch! 
I placed the umbrella from the kids' sandtable over the spot where the bunnies are so that the crows and hawks flying above can't spot them. I kept watch all day...some hawks were circling. Connor kept telling me if the hawks were getting close. No crows though. My only worry now is the one or two stray cats around. They can squeeze through our fence. I can only hope that Kelly Martin is protecting them like any good mom would. I'll be checking on them first thing in the morning. 
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