The Bunnies We Know

 On our evening walk, Melissa spotted a shape on our driveway that was gone as we approached. But then we saw Rusty. Rusty did not react to me (ever since the watering ) but bounded towards Melissa when she arrived, staying a few feet away, perhaps expecting to be photographed.  Then we backed up and walked around, and when Rusty saw Melissa, it bounded towards her again. On the way home we passed Rusty, who said hello again and then bounded away. Melissa had tears in her eyes. Is this interspecies communication? What does it mean? Rusty recognizes Melissa and may even recognize its name.

We were worried about Daily, having not seen it for several days. But it came by this morning after 7:30 AM. Melissa saw it hop cautiously into the yard, and when I came down to look, it was in its favorite spot.  Daily on arrival at 8 AM / Daily foraging at 8:30 AM Melissa just stepped outside and saw Daily again! It's after noon. Rabbits are generally nocturnal. Melissa found a video about rabbit body language and another about how rabbits apologize  (to humans and to each other). When I was watching daily this morning, at one point it turned itself 180 degrees. Was this communication, or was it looking at a different piece of grass? Had I just turned 180 degrees?  I think rabbits are far more complex than most people give them credit for -- and they are individuals. 

We have not seen Daily for two days now. The nights are already colder, and neighbors' schedules are disrupted for Labor Day weekend. We hope to see the bunnies this evening. We saw one last night on a neighbor's lawn but could not identify it. This morning, I stepped outside to look for rabbits and saw birds instead. Some sparrows. And, hovering at the Coral Honeysuckle that Melissa planted, a hummingbird. It drank from one flower, then another flower, and then left. Nature's recompense for no rabbits.

 Daily was resting in the shaded lawn this morning. After it left, we mowed part of the lawn. Friends were flabbergasted when we told them that we would not mow the lawn if there was a rabbit on it or near it. We appreciate the trust that Daily puts in us by spending part of its daytime sleep hours in the shady part of our lawn. We would not change that. It is difficult to tell exactly what rabbits say without speaking , but we appreciate the trust.

 Daily was in our yard this evening, but looking towards our neighbor's yard, which has a short iron fence. We walked to the neighbor's yard and saw Rusty. When Melissa said Rusty's name, it bounded towards us but stayed on the other side of the fence. We are delighted that silent Rusty said hello. Rusty in clover

 Melissa and I have an ongoing debate about the proper method of approaching the rabbits. She likes to take small steps towards them while photographing them. Sometimes they move closer, sometimes they move away, and sometimes they don't move. I worry that the bunnies feel stalked. But sometimes they come to her (meaning within six feet).  She likes to talk to them -- reassuring them, for example, that a dog being walked on the sidewalk will not come onto our lawn. Sometimes she sings to them. I now think that they are reassured by the break in eye contact created by the camera. What do they think about being talked to? It's hard to tell.  Melissa is accustomizing the bunnies to flash photography. If they live for three years, then each month is two or three human years. They have grown up with flash photography since May. They do not mistake other humans for Melissa, but no other humans take their pictures while talking to them or singing to them. Daily was here this mor...

Melissa had gone out a few minutes before and came back, having seen no rabbits. But when we went out together, we saw all three: Daily, Meerkit, and Rusty. Rusty came bounding towards us and stayed about six feet away from us, eating contentedly. Daily ran to the shaded lawn that it prefers. Meerkit stood on its hind legs, which is does far more often than the other bunnies, and eventually followed Daily to the shaded lawn. I feel happy that Rusty now understands that it has permission to eat on our front lawn.

The bunnies were in the driveway (Daily and Rusty) and our neighbor stopped to talk to us. Rusty approached when we had our backs turned but then ran away when we looked at it. According to the Bunny Lady 's newsletter, rabbits will approach if you do not chase them. She recommends rewarding domesticated rabbits with a treat if they approach -- a treat for their bravery. We might bring out an apple slice in the future -- have not decided. I wonder whether the bunnies see the camera that Melissa uses as her breaking eye contact and therefore being not threatening. Daily was not there this morning, but we will look for the rabbits this evening.

 Daily continues to appear on our shaded lawn every day. Last night, Melissa dropped off some carrot peels for it. Does it know from smell that Melissa placed the peels? No more peels until winter.  Today, went she went to photograph it, she sang it a lullaby. Its eyes closed. Can rabbits understand tone of voice? Daily has known us for the entirety of its short life. Does it recognize us, or at least Melissa?  Melissa also talks to Daily, thanking it for choosing our lawn. 

 Rabbits do not speak to us. The rabbits that we know are wild. But they communicate without words.  When we speak to rabbits, do they understand? Interacting with a wild rabbit is not like interacting with a domesticated dog or cat. Even the least intelligent cat or dog has a toddler's language: want food, go to sleep, go away, I love you, I hate you (for 5 minutes or until the next meal), pay attention to me. Every pet owner knows that each pet is an individual. We do not own the wild rabbits but we have named some of them that we can identify as individuals. Daily Consider Daily . Daily has a favorite spot on our shaded lawn and visits it every day. We are delighted. Every morning we ask, "Is Daily there?" Daily is there. We are delighted that Daily feels safe enough to return to our lawn every day. Yesterday, Daily was on our lawn all day. Earlier in the summer, it would go somewhere cooler during the hottest part of the day (we don't know where). Yesterday was su...

 A small, young rabbit has been coming to a shady spot on our lawn every morning. You can see the bunny from the window. At first, Melissa named it Daily Baby.  Daily at about 3 months old, perhaps younger Then it grew larger in just a few days and it became Daily Bunny. Now, it's just Daily. It's there right now. It's sitting in the position that the Bunny Lady describes as "confident" in the rabbit body language guide , although it may be asleep. Melissa has accustomed it to her presence and to flash photography. We do not feed the rabbits and we do not touch them but we try not to upset them by getting too close. Daily allows Melissa to get closer than most of the other rabbits allow her, and therefore she has especially good photos. In order to show that we are not sneaking up on the bunnies, we talk to them quietly when we are admiring them. 

 Today, Melissa looked out the window and saw a rabbit by the grow bags, a little one. So we went out to look at it. Then I saw that there was a rabbit right in front of Melissa. She was photographing the little one. I said, "what about the one right in front of you?" She jumped. She says it was Rusty. Rusty was calmly eating just feet from her. Neither of us saw Rusty appear. I would be delighted if Rusty has returned.  Melissa says that after I left her photographing the bunnies, Rusty grabbed a plant, perhaps an Artemisia ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemisia_(plant) ) and ate it. Melissa had been thinking of removing it. Rusty has always been with a smaller bunny. Does that mean that Rusty is female. 

 Last night we may have seen Rusty the bunny accompanied by a small rabbit. Rusty stayed on the driveway grass, but the small rabbit (named "Baby") went onto our lawn and stayed there overnight, much to the joy of some small children who got to see it on the way to church.