This morning at Springbrook Nature Center a fat Groundhog was busy collecting leaves and grass to line her nest in preparation for her babies that she will be giving birth to soon.
Hibernation was definately over on this warm and sunny day. She was finding materials that had been dried out by the sun on the south side of her small hill.
This groundhog would place her lower jaw down on the ground and, with her mouth open, push forward picking up all the leaves and grass in her mouth. Then she would look around and disappear down one of her den's holes. A few minutes after she would be back and repeat the process.
She continued for the entire 90 minutes I watched her, and was still busy when I left.
Sometimes she would stop while deep in the brush and look all around for a few minutes, then return to her task of preparing her nest for her babies.
Around four babies will arrive in the next couple of weeks as green things start growing.
