The rabbit photo was from my deck using the zoom lens so he’s a bit fuzzy around the edges, and the owl was from a trip to Montana when this bird doubled back to have a second look at our little English cocker who was only about 6 months old. Otherwise I wouldn’t have been quick enough to get the photo. Thanks for reading, Lynette. Have a great weekend.
There’s something about the softness of a rabbit’s fur that makes us want to forgive them for ruining our gardens. In this case he’s helping with the weed eating job.
It’s cyclic here with the rabbits. They reproduce and are everywhere; the owls show up in our firs; the rabbit population goes down; the owls move on; two new rabbits move in; the cycle starts all over again. No coyotes close to us, but the owls do the job.
Love your bunny photos and the poem. We have lots of bunnies around here as well, but unfortunately the majority of them are domestics that have been abandoned. The majority of them are black and some are black and white. Such sweet little things, until they eat your garden. I’ve put lots of mesh around my yard now (in the back) and they don’t seem to get in at all.
Yes, that’s the downside of having rabbits around. Nothing is ever perfect. But you sure don’t want them eating your beautiful lupines or anything else in your yard.
You are so good at this Anneli. Capturing the right moments and weaving them into such a beautiful story that it is hard to imagine the bunny could be doing or thinking anything else but what you have written.
I so look forward to reading it.
Thank you, Deepa. I always have to think of my mother when I do these little stories. She used to tell us (my brother and sisters and me) that the animals talk and all we have to do is listen.
Huge smile as the story you told was great, but also just using that phrase – I can hear Ma saying to us kids, “Now go do X,Y,Z. Quick like a bunny!”
And then I remember saying the same to my own kiddos…
Thanks, Anneli
Here’s what I found out:
Vancouver Island has no native rabbits or hares. Apart from the Eastern Cottontail, the only other species of rabbit found on Vancouver Island is the introduced European Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus. This single species is the ancestor to 80 varieties of Domestic rabbit.
Very cute and no doubt very hungry! Interesting to see it; it’s the familiar (to me) European rabbit. Is their introduction fairly recent? I don’t remember seeing any when I was on the island but maybe they just hadn’t got that far north.
Although widely introduced around the world, the European rabbit is an endangered species in its native Spain. Its decline has also threatened the Iberian lynx, the world’s rarest big cat, along with the imperial eagle. There’s a lot of conservation work going on. In England, they were introduced by the Romans but have become naturalised over time, and some of our ecosystems are quite dependent on them now.
Thanks for all that good info, Adele. It’s something most of us don’t think about, how the species of animals are all interconnected and dependent on each other for survival. The European rabbits (or a variation thereof) have been a “pest” here for at least 30 years and possibly more, but in our area (central Vancouver Island) they feed the owls. We notice the number of owls in the area is directly related to the number of rabbits.
Thanks, Patsy. We have only the common European rabbits (even though we’re not in Europe), but they’re bad enough with all the damage they do to the grass, digging holes everywhere and the damage to the veggie garden. The little ones can get right through the 2-inch squares of the stucco wire I used for my garden fence. My only hope is that one day they’ll have eaten so much that they can’t get out of the garden. Hmm…. I just realized that’s not really where I want them to be. Maybe if they could discover they’re too fat, it should happen while they’re outside the fence.
June 3, 2020 at 8:01 pm
This is so wonderful, Anneli! Bunnie love. 😊
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June 3, 2020 at 8:21 pm
I think I live in a zoo!
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June 3, 2020 at 9:07 pm
A wonderful zoo… 😊
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June 3, 2020 at 9:14 pm
It is. Thanks, John.
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June 3, 2020 at 8:03 pm
Delightful poem! I enjoyed the images in the words.
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June 3, 2020 at 8:20 pm
Thank you, That owl is from out your way. You’re in Montana?
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June 3, 2020 at 8:17 pm
Aww I love this!
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June 3, 2020 at 8:20 pm
Thanks, Saania. That’s great!
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June 3, 2020 at 9:56 pm
Those bunny photos are adorable and I love your poem! Great capture of the owl, too. 🙂
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June 4, 2020 at 8:36 am
The rabbit photo was from my deck using the zoom lens so he’s a bit fuzzy around the edges, and the owl was from a trip to Montana when this bird doubled back to have a second look at our little English cocker who was only about 6 months old. Otherwise I wouldn’t have been quick enough to get the photo. Thanks for reading, Lynette. Have a great weekend.
LikeLiked by 1 person
June 3, 2020 at 10:29 pm
Super sweet and wonderful!
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June 4, 2020 at 8:37 am
There’s something about the softness of a rabbit’s fur that makes us want to forgive them for ruining our gardens. In this case he’s helping with the weed eating job.
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June 3, 2020 at 11:38 pm
Its so lovely to have those little creatures coming to your garden. I love bunnies! Very good pictures and a nice poem!
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June 4, 2020 at 8:31 am
Thanks, Ursula. Yes, they’re sweet — until they eat your tulips and anything you don’t have protected. Glad you liked the poem.
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June 4, 2020 at 2:01 am
He sure looks curious! Sadly, with all of the coyotes in our neighborhood, I’ve yet to see one bunny.
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June 4, 2020 at 8:33 am
It’s cyclic here with the rabbits. They reproduce and are everywhere; the owls show up in our firs; the rabbit population goes down; the owls move on; two new rabbits move in; the cycle starts all over again. No coyotes close to us, but the owls do the job.
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June 4, 2020 at 5:18 am
🙂
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June 4, 2020 at 7:27 am
How did you ever get those pictures! I pass a rabbit family on my dog walking route and they always race away from me. I’m jealous, Anneli.
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June 4, 2020 at 8:30 am
They hover in the front yard hoping I might open the garden gate and get at my veggies!
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June 4, 2020 at 8:47 am
Love your bunny photos and the poem. We have lots of bunnies around here as well, but unfortunately the majority of them are domestics that have been abandoned. The majority of them are black and some are black and white. Such sweet little things, until they eat your garden. I’ve put lots of mesh around my yard now (in the back) and they don’t seem to get in at all.
LikeLiked by 1 person
June 4, 2020 at 11:20 am
Yes, that’s the downside of having rabbits around. Nothing is ever perfect. But you sure don’t want them eating your beautiful lupines or anything else in your yard.
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June 4, 2020 at 12:27 pm
You are so good at this Anneli. Capturing the right moments and weaving them into such a beautiful story that it is hard to imagine the bunny could be doing or thinking anything else but what you have written.
I so look forward to reading it.
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June 4, 2020 at 2:31 pm
Thank you, Deepa. I always have to think of my mother when I do these little stories. She used to tell us (my brother and sisters and me) that the animals talk and all we have to do is listen.
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June 7, 2020 at 9:18 pm
That’s so beautiful Anneli. Such a nice thing to tell the kids.
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June 7, 2020 at 9:50 pm
As you can see, it had a lasting effect on me (for better or worse, haha).
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June 4, 2020 at 1:33 pm
Huge smile as the story you told was great, but also just using that phrase – I can hear Ma saying to us kids, “Now go do X,Y,Z. Quick like a bunny!”
And then I remember saying the same to my own kiddos…
Thanks, Anneli
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June 4, 2020 at 2:32 pm
Aww … that’s sweet, Laura. Thanks for sharing that little tidbit.
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June 4, 2020 at 3:40 pm
Great photos!
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June 4, 2020 at 7:17 pm
Thank you, Sadye, Nice to see you here.
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June 4, 2020 at 10:30 pm
A treat for the end of my day! Thank you, Anneli!
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June 5, 2020 at 9:24 am
Oh, that’s nice to hear, Diane. Enjoy your weekend.
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June 5, 2020 at 2:43 pm
Beautiful little bunny story! And the owl photo at the end is amazing! I love owls.
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June 5, 2020 at 8:18 pm
Yes, me too!
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June 5, 2020 at 6:21 pm
Who doesn’t love bunnies? The photo of the owl is amazing. And your poem made me smile. Thanks, Anneli.
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June 5, 2020 at 8:16 pm
Thanks for your visit and your kind comments, Jennie.
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June 6, 2020 at 3:55 am
You’re welcome, Anneli.
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June 6, 2020 at 10:27 am
Your yard is so full of wildlife. Now Peter and Wol.
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June 6, 2020 at 11:27 am
It’s a wonder a wabbit would want to wiv here, especially with Wol hovering nightly.
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June 6, 2020 at 11:39 am
😀
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June 6, 2020 at 11:35 am
So very cute 🙂
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June 6, 2020 at 11:44 am
Thanks, Theresa.
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June 7, 2020 at 1:04 pm
These little guys sure have a tough time of it. I know gardeners aren’t crazy about rabbits but they sure are cute!
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June 7, 2020 at 8:50 pm
I used to get upset when I saw a rabbit, but since the Captain built a good solid rabbit-proof fence around my garden I don’t mind seeing the rabbits.
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June 8, 2020 at 12:09 pm
How cute!!! Rabbits are so adorable. What kind of rabbit is this? I’ve never seen one with red on it like that.
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June 8, 2020 at 12:34 pm
Here’s what I found out:
Vancouver Island has no native rabbits or hares. Apart from the Eastern Cottontail, the only other species of rabbit found on Vancouver Island is the introduced European Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus. This single species is the ancestor to 80 varieties of Domestic rabbit.
LikeLiked by 1 person
June 8, 2020 at 12:35 pm
Holy cow, er, rabbit! 80 varieties from one?! Very different from our cottontails!
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June 8, 2020 at 1:52 pm
80 varieties. They do work fast and they get around.
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June 14, 2020 at 1:16 pm
Very cute and no doubt very hungry! Interesting to see it; it’s the familiar (to me) European rabbit. Is their introduction fairly recent? I don’t remember seeing any when I was on the island but maybe they just hadn’t got that far north.
Although widely introduced around the world, the European rabbit is an endangered species in its native Spain. Its decline has also threatened the Iberian lynx, the world’s rarest big cat, along with the imperial eagle. There’s a lot of conservation work going on. In England, they were introduced by the Romans but have become naturalised over time, and some of our ecosystems are quite dependent on them now.
LikeLiked by 1 person
June 14, 2020 at 3:55 pm
Thanks for all that good info, Adele. It’s something most of us don’t think about, how the species of animals are all interconnected and dependent on each other for survival. The European rabbits (or a variation thereof) have been a “pest” here for at least 30 years and possibly more, but in our area (central Vancouver Island) they feed the owls. We notice the number of owls in the area is directly related to the number of rabbits.
LikeLiked by 1 person
July 4, 2020 at 10:58 am
Your pictures and poem are great, Anneli! We have Jack Rabbits here, and they would have to hide in really tall grass to hide their ears! 😉
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July 4, 2020 at 11:12 am
Thanks, Patsy. We have only the common European rabbits (even though we’re not in Europe), but they’re bad enough with all the damage they do to the grass, digging holes everywhere and the damage to the veggie garden. The little ones can get right through the 2-inch squares of the stucco wire I used for my garden fence. My only hope is that one day they’ll have eaten so much that they can’t get out of the garden. Hmm…. I just realized that’s not really where I want them to be. Maybe if they could discover they’re too fat, it should happen while they’re outside the fence.
LikeLike