Mommy Bunny a reminder of nature’s wonder

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/06/2021 (724 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

One of the sure signs of emerging summer in Windsor Park is the appearance of all the little brown and grey bunnies. They seem to be everywhere: in the parks, playgrounds, backyards, and everywhere in between.

If you’re like many residents here, you probably have mixed feelings about these furry little creatures.

On the one hand, there’s no denying they are adorable, with their big black eyes and cute little perky ears. However, bunnies can also be a real nuisance. My family has lived in this neighbourhood for over 10 years, and every single year our vegetable garden is raided by bunnies who treat it as their personal all‐you‐can‐eat buffet.

This year, a mommy bunny decided to make a nest for her babies in our backyard. When my husband pointed out where it was, it looked just like a small pile of dead grass that I never would have noticed. Although I had recently spotted a bunny hanging around our place more than usual, once I learned about the nest I began paying more attention.

Since then, not a day has gone by that I haven’t seen her sunning herself in our backyard, sometimes lounging in the grass and sometimes munching it.

My husband (who, being the gardener in the family, is not especially fond of rabbits) carefully mows around the nest so as not to disturb it. He even makes a point of looking around for Mommy Bunny  (yes, that’s what we call her) every time he goes into the back yard. I’ve also noticed he’s not so quick to shoo away bunnies on our front lawn, just in case one of them might be mommy bunny.

Looking forward to seeing her every day has also made me more mindful than ever of the other creatures that share our backyard, including a pair of noisy black birds (one in particular who loves to tease our cat) and a couple of chatty squirrels: one small and red, the other large and grey.

As I’m currently working from home, I look forward every morning to sitting on the patio with my laptop, watching for my new ‘neighbourhood friends’ to come by.

These days I may not be able to get together with family and friends and I haven’t seen most of my co-workers in person for almost a year, so I’m especially grateful for Mommy Bunny’s company. And that of all her furry friends.

Heather Innis is a community correspondent for Windsor Park. You can contact her at htiede@gmail.com