Bandits-Redux!

UPDATE! This afternoon I was able go back over to the big tree on the corner and get a closer shot of the baby raccoons with my regular camera... there are FIVE of them...(maybe more?) Be sure to double-click the photo to see the close-up of their cute little faces. :-)

[See the original posting and image of them in my 6/25/11 entry.]

Bandits

So, I'm patiently waiting my turn at the 4-way stop at the edge of our subdivision, when I casually glance out my my window at a huge knothole in an ancient box elder tree. Imagine my surprise, when I see these two little guys poke their heads out and stare back at me! (I must apologize for the poor quality of this particular image - I did not have my regular camera with me while out running errands....isn't that always the case?) I quickly pulled over and was lucky enough to get a snapshot with my cell phone before they ducked back down inside.

The odd part about this is that, even though we live in a semi-rural area, and see lots of turkeys, pheasants, ground hogs, possum, and deer, I can't recall the last time we saw a raccoon wander through the area.

Loud Mouth!

Every spring the Robins build several nests around our yard. For the past few years they have decided to set up shop on the lower branches of a tall spruce near our patio. Noticing the Mama Robin's busy flight to and fro, we suspected the eggs had hatched. Yep! This little baby is hungry. Another photo below shows them just before the "squeaky wheel" opened her mouth!

House Guests

We're in a battle of wits with the robins who have been tenaciously trying to build nests in our garage - right on TOP of our garage door opener. We'll take one down, shut the door, and think that's the end of it. Nope. Next time we're working in the yard and have the door open, they take advantage & try it again. Haven't they heard of the great outdoors?

Meanwhile, this sweet mourning dove has built her nest in our front maple tree, completely un-fazed by the fact that the dog's tie-out is around the base of the tree.