Wisconsin Pond Build

[sissy]

I remember his daughter out there helping daddy and pretty soon there will be 2 helpers .

 

[CountryEscape]

Awww ... adorable pics of your girls, Herz!!! And, can't imagine rabbits coming in and feeding in the winter time. That's pretty special. I remember tilling my garden one spring, saw something moving the grass in front of the tiller, stopped and inspected and found baby bunnies in a nest very well camo'd in the grass. Tilled around it, and never did know if the mother moved them, or if I made them an obvious target for hawks or foxes. So, beware of baby nests come spring, as those two seem to want to stay around! I can see the carrots in the snow, too. Very cute and good teaching tool for your daughter to learn about nature. Hoping they don't bother your shrubs this coming year. Maybe they are just pruning them on the lower branches for you!

 

[sissy]

I have lots of rabbits here and always have to watch for baby bunny nests .Before I mow i usually walk around and look to see if i see any .I have noticed though since i put the straw out for the deer in the woods that the bunnies seem to nest there more .I see the babies when I go by hopping around when they get old enough .Safer for them there .

 

[CountryEscape]

I once was driving tractor with belly mower over pasture area by our other barn, and noticed a bunch of too tiny bunnies running around. Stopped tractor, shut off mower, then noticed I had stopped right on top of the nest with one of the mower wheels, and it smooshed the 4 babies still in the nest. I was devastated! I caught 2 of the babies running around, figuring they would have a better chance of survival with me than in the open now that I messed up their nest. Raised one of the two babies to almost adulthood, then released him in our front area by the garden. It was after that when I found the bunnies in the garden. We also saw a rabbit cross our driveway almost every time we came home at night. So, figured that little guy stuck around for quite a while. When I was a kid, I caught a baby bunny, called him Wiggle Nose. He died before I was able to release him, or maybe I tried to keep him too long. Poor bunny. Was careful not to name the bunnies later in life, just helped them survive until could be released. Still only raised one of the two. They are pretty hard to raise, or maybe I was not very good at raising them.

 

[j.w]

One of my darn cats found the nest of some rabbits one year and killed them. Bunnies were not smart building their nest in my garden where the cats hang out. I felt terrible for those poor little babies and their mother. We don't see many around here now. Think between cats/dogs/coyotes and hawks they don't stand much of a chance.

 

[CountryEscape]

Once I was walking along a sidewalk in town (very small town, I might add) and saw movement. A rabbit had built her nest right next to the sidewalk! I thought that was stupid, but then I realized what better place to keep the babies safe, but where humans walked. She just took the chance a human would notice them and kill or steal them. Otherwise, they only feed them twice a day, so as long as she fed early and late .... My grandma once had a nest in her yard, and she would not allow us grandkids to go outside that time we visited, we could only watch through the window as the mama came to lay over the nest to feed her babies. My daughter raised angora rabbits, and what beautiful little babies she had. But, who wanted to brush them for the rest of their life? Nope, not us, although we did figure out the time frame necessary to shave them off for grow-back before Fair time!

 

[herzausstahl]

Lol Colleen I am in the process of designing a 2' high fence that I can border the garden with. Someone will always be outside with her but I want to slow her down/stop her near the pond.

Your right sissy, I want to make the upper water outlet into a 2nd pond. Told my wife not this summer, so my youngest might be the same age as her sister was when i began this pond by the time i am able to do it. Mostly time & planning, plus figuring how to expand now the garden is in place around it.

Patty the rabbits have stunted my barberry shrubs he last few years, this year before we started feeding them thy were stripping e lower bark off of our blue beard shrubs. My oldest loves feeding them, I think they will nest in the garden so they are safe from the mower. I feel bad when I see them knowing how cold out it is.

 

[Mmathis]

Adorable little girls!

 

[CountryEscape]

Those rabbits are fully prepared for the cold temps. It's us with our coats and gloves and scarves that still are cold when we head outside. I love going outside in the winter, once I'm bundled up, but on days like today, in the teens, I don't stay out very long. Brrrrrrr
Your fence and new pond sound wonderful! Can't wait for that to get started next year. Glad you're taking a year to enjoy your little ones before starting again, but anxious to get started, I bet.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Bad rabbits, they are everywhere and puppies have a hard time getting a decent meal, cause it's all "fast food"! Ha ha ha.... get it, fast food.... bunnies run fast and puppies like to eat them! He he he

 

[sissy]

poor bunnies

 

[herzausstahl]

Nice one Colleen. I know that patty but I'm with you, still freezing when I'm out there and just think they must be too, even though they're not.

We got some good snow this past Tuesday so here are some pics of the woods near my parents home:



These next two are of a creak bed:



it also led to some nice drifting in my yard:


The mourning doves & other small birds like to hang out in the back of the garden when not eating. Glad to know my feeder idea worked this winter. It's located on my patio right in perfect view of the kitchen table so I can enjoy watching the animals to keep my cabin fever down this year. Working so far.

 

[CountryEscape]

Oh my, those doves look like they are in a hotel, in the sunshine, keeping nice and snuggly warm. And, look at all those bunny tracks in the snow! Pretty snow drifts as. Looks like you had a beautiful snow, not too much but enough for pretty drifts. (BTW, "pretty drifts" are those that do not involved the need to be shoveled. LOL)
My pup Yukon just barked at the back door, where I usually let him go outside, but that door is frozen shut. The winds came from the east today (very unusual for our westerly prevailing winds in this area) and brought with it freezing rain and sleet, so now the door is stuck. Glad the winds have let up and the freezing stuff has stopped couple of hours ago. Snow plow just went by, so I should be good to go to work in the a.m. Woohoo ... NOT! Looking for high 40's and sunshine all day Sunday, though, so I'm not complaining.
Maybe post a pic of your critters eating at your feeder sometime, Herz!

 

[CometKeith]

Hey Herz, Welcome back. Great pics. It's cool for a dad to spend quality time with their children. I did with my daughter. Of course as a teenager she related more with her mom, but we still have a special bond.

 

[herzausstahl]

Oh my, those doves look like they are in a hotel, in the sunshine, keeping nice and snuggly warm. And, look at all those bunny tracks in the snow! Pretty snow drifts as. Looks like you had a beautiful snow, not too much but enough for pretty drifts. (BTW, "pretty drifts" are those that do not involved the need to be shoveled. LOL)
My pup Yukon just barked at the back door, where I usually let him go outside, but that door is frozen shut. The winds came from the east today (very unusual for our westerly prevailing winds in this area) and brought with it freezing rain and sleet, so now the door is stuck. Glad the winds have let up and the freezing stuff has stopped couple of hours ago. Snow plow just went by, so I should be good to go to work in the a.m. Woohoo ... NOT! Looking for high 40's and sunshine all day Sunday, though, so I'm not complaining.
Maybe post a pic of your critters eating at your feeder sometime, Herz!

Thanks patty! Don't worry I have a snowblower for that plus a neighbor who has the snowblower attachment for his riding mower & loves using it, so half the time he swings by & clears the driveway for us. Yeah, I'm pretty spoiled on that this year. The doves & I think they're chickadees of some kind have been stopping by. I always see the doves out there first thing sac day, will try to get a couple pics.

Hey Herz, Welcome back. Great pics. It's cool for a dad to spend quality time with their children. I did with my daughter. Of course as a teenager she related more with her mom, but we still have a special bond.

Thanks Keith, I couldn't agree more, although my youngest is looking like she might be a mommies girl, but can't complain, I told my wife it wouldn't be fair if both our girls were daddy's girls!