It's Animal Kingdom 'round here!

I guess our house was given the all clear within the animal world for baby deliveries this Spring.

The other day I was looking at all the new, baby hydrangeas buds that will soon be blooming and what walked out on a leaf?  A teensy praying mantis.  I didn't have my camera handy to get a picture of it.  Bummer!  Praying mantises (I'm guessing at the plural here.) love hydrangeas, so I'm sure we'll see them periodically throughout the summer.
**Edited to add:  I went back out to see if I could find him again and there he was! (I can't guarantee that it's the same one, but we'll pretend.)  He's twice the size he was last week, though.  Little buggers grow quick!

Last week, I noticed a new Robin's nest under our back deck, so I peeked through the slats and saw three little blue eggs.  No, the Robin family was not happy when I snapped this picture (dangerously teetering on a chair, by the way.)

Today I checked and we have babies!  I'm not sure how many.  I only saw one bald head and big eye looking back at me through the slats.  My picture of the babe (that I almost got attacked by Mama Robin for trying to take) is fuzzy, so I'll try again later.  

Also today, I was going to get the mail and I saw a hole in the ground near my front porch.  I had chased a stray cat away from the area this morning (cause I thought he was going to use it as a public restroom).  Not so.  He was trying to get these little guys.  

Three (at least from what we could see) little bunnies.  So cute!  Now I'm fretting over their well-being.  I recovered their hole, so I hope Mama Bunny will come back to tend to them or move them to a safer place.  I've already checked them, through the window, a hundred times today and will be looking out at the hole a million more times before bed, I'm sure.  

Sheesh!  Being a self-appointed, wildlife overseer is exhausting.  

Gotta go check my bunnies.  

Update:  One bunny didn't make it through the night.  He was lying beside the nest this morning.  I'm not sure if the Mama took it out because it was already dead or if something else pulled it out.  The other one was recovered and is a feisty, little thing.  I'm going to have to keep a close eye on the hole today.  :-(  


Update 2:  Mama Bunny came and moved the other little baby.  I am so glad she did (at least that is what I am believing happened - I haven't seen any evidence that something else got him) because his eyes weren't even open yet and he kept trying to hop around and leave the hole.  Sheesh, bunny.  Get back in your hole.  You're hopping around with a bullseye on your back if you don't!  Fingers crossed that the little guy's going to make it.  Julianna kept praying for it's safety, so all will be well.  :-)