Hi Mary,

Just in case, I wanted you to have this story and I wasn't sure so I am posting it here too. It was an eventful day here in my yard. I posted this in pieces, earlier tonight on Facebook in case anyone may be interested. I have copied it and will post it here for you. Thanks for asking and all is well!

Mike (my better half) and I are on "vacation" this week to work on some never ending projects. To be fair, we do enjoy working outside. While weeding, Mike found a nest of the three baby rabbits. We took some photos and put the grass, as best we could, back around them. The rabbits have burrowed into the side of a 4 ft. deep whole we had dug for a pond.

We found the den yesterday morning and it wasn't until this evening thought we would take a look at the rabbits to make sure they were OK. It seems that since we pulled out all the weeds, the side of the rabbit's den was now missing and we were sad to find the baby rabbits on their backs, still breathing, in three separate areas, at the bottom of the soon to be clay pond.

It was two hours before dusk and not sure what to do, we grabbed a cardboard box, the fur and grass from the nest and picked up the baby rabbits. We brought them in to the garage and at first felt, well at least they are warm. I have raised (out of necessity) cottontail rabbits and released them back into the wild once they were grown, but they were never this small...hmmm...what to do?

After further research, we realized we had to get them back from where they originally came from. We gathered up the rabbits, a trowel, and two sticks. We made a bowl shaped hole in the side of the clay, where they originally were, yet now more secure. We put the mother's fur back around them, dug up some large lilies (with large root balls for protection in our now weedless pond area) and surrounded the new den with them. We set some long grass lightly on top and put two sticks crosswise on the top.

The sticks are to ensure the mother has returned, as we would be able to notice if they have been moved. We stopped working outside and came inside, anxiously awaiting the mother's return. Our evening tonight was spent staring through binoculars, watching to see if she would come back. As dusk set in, we were thrilled to watch the mother hesitantly come back to the nest. We watched to be sure she stayed, and she did!

With heavy rain on it's way again, I know we will double check tomorrow just to be sure that all is well. I just wanted to post this as a reminder that there is so much wonder in one's backyard and also if you ever stumble onto a den of baby rabbits, you will know what to do. I will sleep good tonight and 4 little rabbits in my backyard will too. I very happy to share my lilies! :-)

Sleep well my little friends! ;-)