This morning, one of the rabbits built a new nest in the irises. It looked like a lot of work. She pulled grass in huge mouthfuls, carried it into the iris bed, arranged it carefully, then returned for more grass. She also spent a great deal of time digging, uprooting several irises in the process. (The irises will survive. They always do.)
I can hardly contain my curiosity, though I know better than to disturb the nest today. Maybe sometime mid-week, I’ll take a closer look.
I’m looking forward to a new litter of bunnies, and I’ll be very disappointed if the nest fails. Or if the hawk returns…
You are so lucky to have a front row seat for the bunny nest building. Hope there is a lovely litter of baby bunnies. Great photos!
This was a first for me. In the past, I’ve always found the nests after they were complete. I had no idea how much work went into constructing one!
I’ve never seen a bunny’s nest! We have a baby bunny over at the park. I see it from a short distance when I go for a walk. Keep us posted!
I saw my first nest a few years ago. It was under one of our roses, and we accidentally disturbed it while doing yard work. The babies tried to run away, but they were too small. One of them had to be rescued after falling through a nearby sewer drain. We eventually got them all back in the nest, then spent the next few weeks watching them nurse and play in the rose bed. Last summer, there was another nest in the yard, this time in an open area. The links at the end of this post will take you to a pair of earlier blog entries with pictures and video of last summer’s nest.
In the past, we’ve had rabbits dig nests and then abandon them before delivering their babies. So I’m trying to stay away from the irises for a while, hoping that the mother rabbit won’t change her mind…
Finally got a chance to check out the pictures and the video which I thoroughly enjoyed. Baby bunnies are among my favorite creatures. I would have cried at the loss of one of the bunnies, even though, like you, I know it’s the cycle of life. Hope all works out well this year.
This is amazing..I love your photos and details on what this little Mommy bunny did to build a nest.. How wonderful to have a front seat to this marvel.. I sure hope the hawks and any wild stray cats stay away..
I am wishing her (I named her Katie) all the best luck with this wonderful experience and to have those cute little bunnies to care for, after all is done.. We sure do live in a beautiful world… xo
hm… I don’t usually name them, because then I get too attached. Perhaps, in this case, I can make an exception. 🙂
Lucky… 🙂 Hope there will be wee little ones at some point.
I hope so, too!
Dp you think the Mama is from last year’s litter?
Shar
I don’t know! I want to believe that she is…
Oh, Rae, hope all goes well for mama and her babies! We have lots of young bunnies around here, so I’m sure there must be lots of nests. I’ve never seen one, though–I’ll have to investigate. Thanks for sharing!
I couldn’t stand it anymore, so I checked the nest. No babies. I don’t know if she found a better location, or if she simply hasn’t delivered yet. I’ll post an update if we end up with a litter!