Raccoon ready for Spring [video]
Cute as heck Raccoon
This morning at precisely 1:48 A.M. EDT, the Sun crossed directly over the Earth’s equator and became the Northern Hemisphere’s vernal equinox. This equinox is a great time for looking for animals because the ground is thawing and critters are out searching for food.
The Raccoon captured in this post were found searching for grubs the other night when I had hoped to find some American Woodcock displaying (but didn’t find any). I watched it for almost an hour near dusk and only on a few occasions did it actually look up at my vehicle. It worked the field by moving in transects, as to be sure to cover almost every inch of the area for anything worth eating. I just loved watching it use its little nose and front paws feeling for things (as you can see in the video). You always knew it would find food when it quickly started chewing something and then you would find me with a big smile on my face! Did I mention that spring is one of my favorite times of the year and soon our warblers will be returning!!! SWEET . . . . winter is over (well it is almost over)!
Raccoon looking for Grubs (use that nose)
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Such sweet faces they have! When I was a girl I got to hold a tamed raccoon in my lap. In the blink of an eye, it removed my pierced earring! The pads of her fingers were so soft.
20 March 2008 at 8:07 pm
What a cutie – he can have all my grubs!
20 March 2008 at 8:16 pm
Very cute! I liked when it seemed to pose directly for your camera. I guess they don’t always wash their food. Is it only when water is handy, or only with certain foods? Or is that just a myth?
BTW are you familiar with The Living Forest Series by Sam Campbell? They are 12 wonderful nature books (stories about wildlife) for kids (and grown up kids, too). This post reminded me of the one about a mother raccoon, Calamity Jane, a favorite from my childhood.
20 March 2008 at 8:30 pm
Gee…they look so much cuter during the day. Your camera does a super job (could it be the photographer?) I bet you read ‘Rascal’ when you were a little boy 😉
20 March 2008 at 8:42 pm
Tom-
This delayed spring thing is getting strange. Its weird to see the sun so high overhead yet still be cold! We had crocusses blooming for the first time today though, and winter really is over, but man, spring is just taking its good old time to get here this year.
Tom
20 March 2008 at 8:44 pm
Great video of the little masked bandit. We had our first Woodducks today. Our first Tree Swallows in our county. Eastern Phoebes were battling over territory. An exciting time of year.
20 March 2008 at 8:57 pm
Happy Spring Tom!
I love watching raccoons too….when they look around and their little hands continue to be busy feeling around for grubs and stuff. A very entertaining critter.
20 March 2008 at 9:29 pm
Great video, Tom. They’ve been raiding the trash receptacles on campus but maybe now that spring is here, they’ll find another haunt.
20 March 2008 at 9:49 pm
I know he is a wild animal but he is so adorable! I know how you feel about it being spring. I spent the whole winter thinking what it would be like to go outside without a coat and boots on and listen to singing birds. We went wireless (internet) last year and I’ll for sure very soon I’ll be spending a good deal of the day with my laptop out on the deck with the critters.
20 March 2008 at 11:38 pm
He’s just the cutest! I want to hug him and not get bit! Cool video, it was interesting to see him search for grubs.
20 March 2008 at 11:50 pm
I just love your videos! Raccoons are so cute. 🙂
20 March 2008 at 11:58 pm
I love the video. I personally like the raccoon’s little hands. They are so cute.
Hope you have a good Easter. ~nita~
21 March 2008 at 1:15 am
Yay spring!! Love the little coon and how he just went about his business while you enjoyed watching him.
21 March 2008 at 6:40 am
I use to love raccoons….until I found one in my living room eating the dog food. We have a dog door, and the raccoon found the door. Opps!
21 March 2008 at 8:47 am
Trust me, from the weather we got up here, it’s definately not spring yet.
21 March 2008 at 10:10 am
@ Lynne – thanks and these guys know the bling bling! LOL!
@ Wren – thanks and will let them know!
@ Rondi – thanks and I have seen Raccoons wash their food. My guess is that they use it to try and soften the food up. Where I was located . . . there wasn’t any water near by! I have never read anything from Campbell but have heard of it!
@ Barb – aww, they are always cute! 🙂 Thanks for your kind words!
@ Tom – Its funny because I think last year we were much further behind in spring arriving! I just keep on remembering all the dead tree swallows in April! Ugg!
@ Lisa – Thanks and they are starting to be out looking for food! Glad to hear about your birdies arriving! I can’t wait to hear my first phoebe!
@ Ruthie – happy Spring to yourself! I captured around 20 minutes of them searching for food! They are cute for sure, thanks!
@ Mary – Thanks and they sure do! LOL
@ Linda – I would be just happy to go outside with a sweatshirt on! I also have given the wireless thing a try and can’t wait for my morning bird song/blogging times!
@ Chicago – isn’t he? Thanks and it is nice seeing them do natural behaviors!
@ Heather – thanks and they are!
@ Nita – thanks and I love watching them use their hands!
@ Jayne – so love the spring! It would look up at me very so often but it for sure had its mission that it was after!
@ Sherry – thanks and that wouldn’t have been fun to find! Surprised the dogs didn’t chase it away!
@ Scienceguy- we got snow the first day of spring also! Ugg
21 March 2008 at 10:25 am
It can’t arrive fast enough Tom, we just had 7 inches of rain this last week, if it doesn’t come soon I am going to sue someone 🙂
21 March 2008 at 11:44 am
Looks so cute when it turns to the camera and stares at you!
Some posts like this, so common for some bloggers are totally new and amazing for me, we don’t have raccons here, I’ve only seen them on pics or at the Zoo!
21 March 2008 at 2:58 pm
The raccoons nest at the back of my property and for the most part they are great neighbors. They are super smart and raid my bird feeders from time to time – which is fine by me! I’m hoping to catch a glimpse of them again this year. Great photos and video of your guy/gal.
21 March 2008 at 3:48 pm
I had a Raccoon in my yard earlier this week too and it stayed for a long time feeding on sunflower seeds it found in the snow. Your’s seems to have a lot more white on its face than the one I saw. Very nice video.
21 March 2008 at 3:50 pm
I have to laugh sometimes when the ground’s pretty wet here…the raccoons will take food up into a tree, wedge their hips into the crotch of a branch & use their little hands to eat. Such clever little guys! Thanks for sharing your video. 🙂
21 March 2008 at 6:52 pm
@ Bernie – We had some rain also but it’s the snow we got that I didn’t like! Thanks
@ Mel – thanks and it is very cute! We see them all the time here! Normally getting into my trashcan!
@ Owlman – They hit my feeder also but I only put enough food for the birdies to last the day! That has cut back on the raccoons!
@ Me and your camera- they do love the sunflower seeds! This one was a little darker!
@ Lana – that is funny to watch! Thanks
21 March 2008 at 7:00 pm
Too cute! It’s so nice to see them doing what they are supposed to be doing rather than raiding our trash! 🙂
21 March 2008 at 9:58 pm
What an adorable creature! We once owned a duck and usually let him wander at will. However, for his safety sake we put him in a fenced area (also the girls were toddlers and he liked to bite their chubby thighs when they were in swimsuits in the summer.) Anyway.. so we put him in this fence. The very first morning, the hands of a very skilled Raccoon had very deftly rolled the fence up (It was chicken wire, buried about six inched into the ground) and got the duck in the night. I learned then…. never underestimate a hungry raccoon! 🙂
22 March 2008 at 12:22 pm
@ Liz – Exactly! Thanks
@ aullori – so sorry to hear that! Those Raccoons can be very tricky! I think one got into my suet feeder the other night! But that’s nothing like a duck!
22 March 2008 at 6:33 pm