We discovered a bunny nest among our Perriwinkle vines. The vines had grown so much that they were developing a fungus infection, so I used my hedge trimmer to cut the vines off at about 1-2 inches above the ground. The next day Monya decided to rake up the dead and brown leaves I left behind after I picked up the vine cuttings. While raking she noticed some grey fur mixed in with the leaves. Upon closer inspection she discovered a baby bunny was in a nest, just below the surface level of the ground. She covered it back up with a few leaves and vine scraps, then left the nest alone.
We've been watching for the mother bunny for a week now. She hovers around nearby most of the day. We've never seen her on the nest, but two days ago I watched as a Scrub Jay was trying to land on the ground near the nest to pick up some of the fur Monya had raked away from the nest. The mother bunny chased after the bird and the bird squawked loudly and flew up into the nearby tree. Each time it tried to land the bunny would chase it away, sometimes even leaping into the air in an attempt to make contact with the bird. I didn't know that a bunny could act as an aggressor like that. In the end the bird had to give up and it flew away.
Last night we were delighted to spot a tiny baby bunny hiding under one of the shrubs near the nest. It was so small that it looked almost like a mouse. This morning the mother bunny is still standing guard, so we think the babies are in week 6-8, the phase where they could leave the nest at any time, then the mother will not need to guard them any more. May 18,2020.
We have decided to refrain from any pruning efforts in the Spring from now on. It only exposes these nests.
