Bunnies

It has been really hot and dry here.  Flora and fauna have been suffering.  If you looked at the patch at left in your lawn, you'd probably think it is just a bit of dry grass.  This picture was taken much earlier this year when the grass was green....

Look more closely, you see that there is fur mixed into the mess of grass.

If you lift the mess of grass and fur up, you'll see this...a clutch of baby cotton tail rabbits.  We have jillions here.  They're cute...but for a gardener, they can be problematic.  Fortunately, my garden is so full of stuff that they are welcome to nibble where they may.

Cute, aren't they.  Cotton tails have that little blaze on their forehead and shorter ears than some of their lagomorph relatives.

Today, I went out to check on the goldfish pond and feed the finned pigs.  Lemmie the magnificent went out with me and I saw him dive into the clump of Polyganum persecaria and then tackle something....and tackle is the operative word.  He was completely laid out and his chest was pinning down something...I went over and it was a baby bunny, just a little bigger than these guys...he was absolutely unhurt as Lem doesn't have his front claws, and he's very good usually about dropping things when I ask.  I scooped up the little guy to check him out, and he was frightened, but perfectly unharmed.

I couldn't help but pet him.  He calmed and sat in my hand with ears twitching a little....My daughter has been after me to get her a Lion-headed rabbit after meeting the grand-bunny vacationing with my neighbors...fortunately she was in the shower and missed seeing this little guy.  Lem was brought into the house and I put the bun back into the back of the garden, then laid out some shallow, flat saucers of water as there is so much drought here the critters are all suffering.  He hopped right away.  I wonder what tales he will tell his family when he gets home.