Cottontails~

On By cindy knokeIn Conservation, GARDENING AT THE HOLLER, HOLLER HAPPENINGS, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES

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The Holler bunnies are practically tame,
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probably because we feed them carrots,
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with the express understanding they eat the carrots and not my flowers!
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What we have here is a failure to communicate,
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not all that uncommon among neighbors.

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Cheers to you from The Holler’s funny-bunnies~

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309 thoughts on “Cottontails~”

    1. Oh course I won’t ever, but they are so darn endearing it is impossible to do anything but laugh. They love it inside our fence, carrots, a smorgasbord of pretty flowers, and no COYOTES! 😉 😉

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      2. Yes they do. It is impressive to see! I had a great horned owl wing me one night when I was hooting back and forth with his or her mate. The actual mate was the one that gave me a warning swoop. I love these impressive raptors!

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    1. I talk to them in a falsetto voice and they just sit there looking at me. They probably have never seen such a dumb creature as me before, and are stunned by the experience!

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  7. Cindy, our family has always held an affection for bunnies! While my children were between 7 and 11, we had a series of five bunnies. They “showed” bunnies while in 4H. Once my youngest daughter held her Snowball up to her lips to kiss, it inspired my children’s book, “Kissing a Bunny is like Saying a Prayer.” It had other ways children could show their gratitude for nature. This was made into a brochure I gave to all the kids in their club. <3

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    1. How perfectfly wonderful! That of course about sums you up Robin. Love the idea behind your book and encouraging children’s love of nature. It is mutually healing! <3

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  8. Buggs Bunny ain’t got nothing on these bunnies!! LOL!! 🙂 When I look at these photos I can still hear a song from my childhood, “Here Comes Peter Cottontail. Hopping down the Bunny Trail.” Thanks for the walk down memory lane.

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  13. There must be a big surge of bunnies around the world. They are so prevalent here and we just caught two bunnies in our vegetable garden behind the fenced in area.
    Leslie

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  16. “Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were–Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, and Peter. ” (Beatrix Potter) I always considered that I was “Mopsy” – not certain why, I just thought that it was a wonderful name.

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    1. Of course, you and I read all the Potter tales over and over as kids. We have that in common too, Mopsy. I related more to Jemima Puddle Duck. But like you loved them all, still do. Thank you Ms. Potter~ 😉

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  20. I think I can see where the their name ‘cottontail’ come from. 🙂 Why would they go for flowers, instead of other parts of the plant I wonder, may be it is sweeter…or something like that. Cute troubles. 😉

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  22. I know some gardeners hate them, but I always remember “Happy” our pet rabbit whom I loved as I was growing up. My Dad used him in his stage performance as a magician, and “Happy” could behave beautifully as he was pulled, mysteriously, out of a top hat! (Otherwise he roamed free as a cat, and it was my job to keep the garage clean of his rabbit pellets…) Bunny rabbits , even beyond Beatrix Potter, are special to me.

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    1. Your bunny was Happy not Hoppy? Maybe he was both. Your dad was a stage magician? Of course he was, silly me. I am not sure, do you actually have a gondola for your river that you decided you wanted after living in Portugal, or do you just want to get one? I can’t wait to get more of these tidbit gem installments of your life.
      We both loved bunnies as kids. I raised Dutch bunnies and used to get in loads of trouble when they nibbled bunches off my mom’s green naugyhyde sofa. I asked her if she thought it was the rabbits fault that her sofa looked like a big spinach patch?
      She didn’t appreciate my humor…..

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      1. It’s all true, except for the gondola part. It’s nice that you had bunnies, too; we both know the naugahyde sofa cried out to be nibbled. (I once saw a bumper sticker that said: “I brake for naugas”)….and I do appreciate your humor1

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  24. >>> “What we have here is a failure to communicate.”

    Love that famous line by actor Strother Martin from the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke. Has a smart-ass cottontail ever replied with:

    >>> “Ah… what’s up, Doc?”

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    1. We are still negotiating our agreement. The posing for the photos was a significant concession on their part so I think I am getting the upper hand here……… 😉

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  27. Oh so adorable! When I lived in an undeveloped area in the Sacramento region (Davis in particular), I’d get so excited just to see a brief flash of one zipping across a field. I would so love opportunities to see them up close (in a non-blurry fashion) as you’re doing at the Holler Cindy. Thanks for sharing this privilege with all of us! 😀

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    1. When they first come out of the burrow, I talk to them in this ridiculous falsetto voice, hence they think I am strange and harmless to them. They are right on both counts. Plus I give them carrots. If you find young bunnies, sing to them and give them carrots, they will pose for you at length! :3 :3

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  29. Plant clover wherever you can! I found that once the rabbits found the clover in the lawn, they ignored my flowers. They love clover!
    Those are great pix of your pretty adversary, though.

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    1. Ohhhh, thank you for the tip. I love these sorts of tips! I will try it. Someone told me to put vegetable oil on the nectar feeders to repel the bees and it works like a charm!

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  32. I’ll sleep smiling tonight. My son had rabbits that ate the morning glories down to the roots. They left nothing but I loved watching them. Those are some amazing photos!!!!

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  41. Cindy, the rabbit photos are truly adorable! But, as a retired wildlife rehabilitator, may I suggest that you please not feed them carrots or any other fruits or vegetables. Native rabbits in the U.S., cottontails, have extremely delicate digestive systems. Feeding them carrots will usually cause enteritis, which can be fatal – especially for baby bunnies and even for adult bunnies. Their digestive systems need to have only wild native grasses and plants. Native U.S. rabbits are a different, and more delicate, species than pet rabbits, who are descended from European hares – but even pet rabbits need to not be fed carrots. You may check this information by asking any licensed wildlife rehabilitator who cares for rabbits. Here is an article on the subjecthttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/pets-health/9353529/Carrots-are-bad-for-rabbits-RSPCA-says.html
    The only solution I know is to put screening around your flowers and not feed the rabbits. Thanks!

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  42. Such wonderful shots, Cindy – such joy in them, and cheer, really, although the cheekiness in eating the blooms is particularly appealing 😀

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    1. Laughing, yes I will forward it to you. Hopefully you will find enforcement more effective than I have. They tend to just eat the carrots and move on to the flowers!

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  45. Thanks for the laugh. Whenever I am watching my critter neighbors they are always well behaved eating my “weeds”. But when I awake in the morning, my hostas are eaten done to the stems, the tiger lily flowers have all been nibbled away and one flower I don’t know what it looks like because it is always eaten before I get to see the bloom…. Good luck.

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  48. I feed mine apples, but it IS such a joy to see them hopping close to the house each evening in search of their daily treat. Lovely Images my friend! They Feel Like Peter and his sisters <3

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