This morning was filled with yard work - the usual mowing, trimming, pulling weeds, etc. This task was much more enjoyable in the hot, humid sun today, as my lavender has started to bloom and made the front yard smell divine....nothing quite like the crisp, clean smell of fresh lavender!
Earlier in the week, I made an interesting discovery in our yard (or should I say Simba made a discovery)...a nest of baby bunnies. It is hidden quite well under a tree in our front yard. Now, I was not thrilled about this discovery...don't get me wrong - I like rabbits and bunnies - just not digging holes in my yard. The burrow is quite deep and is disguised quite well...I would not have known it was there had the mother not been continually sitting in the same spot....in fact, I had mowed that area earlier in the day and had no idea it was there. Simba chased the mama away the other night and she kept returning...it was dark, so I grabbed a flashlight and sure enough I could see several (at least four, maybe five) babies - all about 2" in size. Each day, I have been checking on them...and today I finally got a decent photo of one in the top of the nest...and although from the photo it looks quite large, in reality, it is at the most 3" in length (they are growing fast)...the diameter of the rabbit nest is maybe 6"...but it is super deep and completely covered with grasses and rabbit hair (as you can see by the photo). I carefully moved some of the hair and took multiple photos, but the babies were all moving and jumping...this was the best image. I can't believe how they are all piled in this nest...it is actually quite fun to watch them!
After a terrible storm last night, my husband and I decided to check on the bunny nest this morning...and to our surprise, the baby rabbits were leaving the nest! I can't blame them...it has been over 100 degrees here for the last several days...and five little bodies in that tiny hole has to be miserable. Yes, there are five little ones, as we quickly found out this morning. First we saw one baby on his own in the yard (top photo below)...then two just outside of the burrow (second photo below)...and then two still in the burrow (third photo below). I managed to get several photos - they are still quite small and you can see the white diamond patch on the top of their heads. My husband also took a photo with my hand (right) to show the small size of the bunnies...keep in mind, I have tiny hands...they are ranging from 4" to 5" in length. The bottom photo below is my favorite - it shows the two just outside the burrow and the two inside the nest. Isn't nature amazing?!
