Mr. Cottontail, your cover is soooo blown! You’re leaving your tracks everywhere:
Do hawks read animal tracks? Probably not, so this cottontail rabbit is safe for the moment. I read them however and I painted them too! “I will do you no harm Mr. Rabbit, your secret is safe with me, be warm and safe…it’s hard out there in the cold.” I told him.
How do rabbits survive the winter? Well, I know they are most active at dawn and after dusk. I just saw two of them beneath my neighbors feeder today while I was shutting my blinds at 6:30pm, well past sunset. Do they feed this late to avoid the hawks and other predators? Probably. Rabbits eat bark and twigs from shrubs, berries, and bird seed that falls to the ground from my neighbor’s feeder.
The sketch I did yesterday is from an evergreen shrub right outside my place of employment. This spot is a great place for winter shelter. Why? Several reasons, rabbits are not as dumb as you think. First, this shrub is located next to a brick building. Even in the dead of winter the sun shining on a brick surface will retain and release more heat then in an open field. Secondly, if the cottontail eats bark and twigs during winter, his food is right there! Thirdly, digging a hole in the snow under the shrub will block out the treacherous winter winds.
I hope you enjoyed this quick sketch using inktense watercolor pencils and a micron pen. D= date, T= time, C= weather conditions, A= location or area of subject.
Let's Paint Nature! 
Very cool. We’re looking forward to the ret’n of the local rabbits this Spring, ourselves.
Lana: Nice! We had some mild weather around here, like a teaser for spring!