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One of the raccoons returned and seem to be looking for food. It might have found something but what? Insects, worms, anyway it spent a few minutes looking about. This is a composite of 6 video clips and as such is about 2 minutes long. If you have any idea what it was looking for or possible finding to eat let me know.

https://youtu.be/y3NZgklGaoI

Ed

Night Crawlers

Costume change at the end?

Last spring, we had a family of raccoons living in the woods nearby. They absolutely trashed much of our front lawn, digging and peeling back sod. It seems that they eat both grubs and earthworms, and we had tons of earthworms.

I mentioned this to a nephew who is a landscape contractor, and his advice was to fertilize with Milorganite brand organic fertilizer. Coons don’t like the smell of the stuff. It so happens that I already used it, which is probably why we had so many earthworms in the first place. But I had only applied it once or twice a year. So I started spreading it lightly at the first sign of any raccoon damage. That was the end of the lawn destruction, and our grass is looking great now!

I thought I posted another video last night but it is not here. I guess I must have forgot to submit????

The night following the raccoon visit an opossum visited and like the raccoon appeared to be searching out food. It also appeared it found something just out of the frame and ate it. Interesting that the search pattern is quite similar and as suggested possibly worms or the like was on the menu.

The opossum returns in the early light of the day with something stuck to it rear. Can't quite make out what it is??

It sure is interesting what all happens in our backyard overnight.

https://youtu.be/6MUdenx1A7A

Ed

I think that's a mass of brand new joeys (opposum babies) clinging to her rump. She's too unperturbed for it to be anything else.

What ever the opossum found to eat last night was chewy. That should eliminate worms and I would think most small insects. Also what ever it is doesn't require digging.......and it didn't seem to leave anything much for the raccoon who passed my hours later.

https://youtu.be/eW1HvdoAkNc

You don't think it would be dumb enough to eat coco mulch do you?

Ed

Captured our first views of a skunk the other night. We know they are around and if I walk at night I keep a keen eye out for them and have had at least one pretty close call. We do get some night smells when some poor dog or car or what even happens and a spray takes place. We have had them a few times already so we knew that there was some activity in the area just not showing up on camera. And we don't have a camera set up every night and it only covers a limited area of the yard.

Anyway this is a collection of 4 captures all in sequence but with some time between events. To start an opossum must have triggered the camera then stepped out of frame only to return as a pair of eyes to the right side. Next the skunk bounds in. Then a couple more appearances of the opossum, and it doesn't look like it found anything to eat this time, well at least on camera.

https://youtu.be/TC6IYAFi7lc

Ed

opossum, opossum, running opossum and then a rabbit

The opossum seems to find more to eat almost every night. Well tonight I have a plastic cup out with some jerky under it. No idea if opossums eat jerky but we might find out???? Of course they are other animals that might come first and give it a try, like the raccoon? If nothing eats it then I'll clean it up and that will be that. BTW it is under a cup since we were expecting rain. Water soaked jerky just doesn't sound tasty............

Know I have to wonder what scared the opossum enough to make it run????

The rabbit seems to show up night and day, no idea when it sleeps???

https://youtu.be/nSboxUbK9O8

The results are in. The raccoon was first on the seen and didn't want to share so it ate it all. It was cute how it used both front paws to lift the cup. I also like how it reached in the cup to make sure there wasn't something stuck inside. Keep in mind we get to see a well lit area but the critters are working on total darkness of night. Of course they see better then we do at night but still........

https://youtu.be/WL0G9-sFGqw

For tonight I have a cup of popcorn and another cup with a few small grapes in it. Again no idea who will show up first and if anything will want the treats. I know squirrel eat the popcorn as well as birds so if it makes it until morning it will not last long.

Don't want to do much of the feeding as I don't think it is a good idea but then it does make for some interesting viewing.

Ed