I have had rabbit nests in my lavender, under my sage plants, and at the base of a sundial ringed by daylilies. Rabbits have been spotted all times of day but most often at dusk and in early morning when the dogs are in the house. The sight of rabbits often reminds me of childhood literature characters- Peter Rabbit, Peter Cottontail, and Bugs Bunny.

Most city dwellers will have a rabbit or two in their neighborhood. If you see a rabbit scampering across a lawn, you are most likely observing an Eastern Cottontail (not to be confused with the Easter Bunny). The most common rabbit in our area, the Eastern Cottontail has big eyes, long ears, and large hind legs and feet. Weighing little more than three pounds and usually not exceeding 15 inches in length, this rabbit is distinguished by its tail, a small tuft of white fur resembling a cotton ball. There's something about these white tails zigzagging across the landscape that inevitably makes me stop to watch.

Some interesting facts about the Eastern Cottontail:

• They differ from hares in that their young are born with no fur, blind, and helpless, this making them "altricial."
• Their eyes are located on the sides of their heads to help them detect and flee from predators.
• They can propel themselves 18-20 miles per hour for short dashes.
• Females can have as many as six liters a year. (This fertility may be the reason they are associated with spring and Easter.)
• Cottontails convert vegetation into animal flesh and are sources of food for predators and man.
• Cottontails seldom range more than one-half mile.
• A baby rabbit is called a kitten.

Be on the lookout for depressions in the grass around your yard; these may be covering a hollow rabbits have dug for a nest. If you come across a nest absent the mother, don't assume she has abandoned the young. Should you accidentally uncover a nest, and the little ones are not hurt, simply cover them up and mark the location with an X of twigs. You can check later to see if the mother has returned. If you find injured rabbits and want to move them, be sure to support the hind legs. Never hold them by the ears or the scruff of the neck. Other contacts that may be helpful for your concerns include www.messingerwoods.org/babybunny.htm or a local rehabilitator.

As I muse on about rabbits my thoughts trail in literary directions to Br'er Rabbit, The Velveteen Rabbit, Nicholas Bunny, Richard Scarry's bunnies, the invisible Harvey, Thumper, and finally to the commercial Energizer Bunny and countless white rabbits in magicians' hat - rabbits, rabbits everywhere.