The Three Raccoon On A Hot Afternoon (i)

© Daniel, Thanks for so many nice compliments and thanks for visiting. Your gallery is fantastic and I especially like your wildlife photos! Jean in NC

This is nice, so charming, allthough we visit game farms in South Africa, raccoons is unfamiliar to me. Howevr, in my gallary there are a few wild animals! Friendly wishes! Johan. Cape Town

H.J. van Zyl, thanks for the compliment. From a TV documentary about raccoons, I learned that they originated from the southern part of South America, migrated north slowly over many years adapting to new territories and learning the new food sources and how to avoid new predators along the way. I think the species adapts well to changes. These pictured here live in the woods around my house. I invite them over for a snack and some water. The wildlife here is no where near as exciting as in your neighborhood!

Your gallery is awesome and I will be returning!

Greetings from USA, Jean

I sincerely thank you JEAN for your very indepth commentry on these facinating animals! No, our neighborhood is unfortunately very civilised as far as any wild animals are concerned, except for some hooligans that behave like animals! But we do have vast nature resources in the greater South Africa! Thank you for your praise on my gallery! Friendly regards! Johan. Cape Town

Johan, by your neighborhood, I meant your country. Here in the western part of North Carolina, the most exciting wildlife is the Black Bear and the rattle snake. Your country has so many fantastic species. I love animals. I have seen many TV specials about your country's wildlife and I have seen some animals at zoos in this country. You are lucky to have such interesting wildlife in your country!

Nothing to do with Panaramio but I will mention it anyway. There is a nice live webcam in your city situated near the water and overlooking a busy highway that I enjoy from time to time . Lovely sunsets and sunrises.

Greetings from USA, Jean

Good shot !

Good composition !

Congrats Jean

Greeting from the road...

Hi Jean, this is a wonderful and lovely shot of your thirsty and hungry neighbors. There are a lot of racoons in the US, right? Greetings from Germany, Heinrich

Thank you, Wind Rider, wherever you are.

Heinrich Fritz, thank you and yes there are many raccoons in the US, although some states still don't have any. But there are also some in Canada, Mexico and the northern part of South America. Actually, here where I live, there were none to be seen by me until about 15 years ago. I have enjoyed very much watching them and getting to know them.

So Long, Jean in North Carolina

Sensational capture.Y S. Greetings from Spain Doenjo.

Doenjo in Spain, hello! Thank you. Jean

Hi again Jean. You need to contact our second national phone carrier here Optus.com.au. They use racoons in their advertisements (and lemurs). I think they should pay you a million dollars for this one. I will only take 5%!!!!!

Another thought for you Jean, slidersmom sent me the address for a site where you might have fun with your coons. icanhascheezburger.com

Thanks for the cute website, Guy. The photos and witticisms are very clever... sort of like what you do. That photo of the whole extended family of raccoons are more than I have ever seen in one spot. I thought the time I saw 18 gathered together was a record. Whew. Last night I saw a rather large group of mostly nearly grown kits and moms and still I only counted 16. It is getting difficult to tell the kits from the moms now. I am not any good at photographing in low light and with motion so I can't show you. Sorry. Jean

I love this photo Jean. So cute! Did they see you coming and pose especially? Do they come into your garden or are they in the wild? Cheers, M

M, you guessed it. They are invited into my yard in the woods or forest edge AND they live nearby in the wild.

They are very tired nursing moms. Usually they don't come out until dark. In summer they tend to appear in the mid-afternoon to take a break from the kits left behind in the nest. They eat and drink, take a dip in the many birdbaths and then take a nap in a tree if it is not too hot. Otherwise, they lay around on moss or in the birdbath or go other place to cool off. They really appreciate the containers of water during the dry hot days of this drought. It is a long walk down to the streams.

They know me so they do not run away if I am careful not to startle them by making sudden movements or loud noise. I sat quietly outside that afternoon as I was expecting their visit. It was a record hot day. I sat with them a few feet away and really enjoyed it. It was like we were hanging out together.

Jean in USA

I like this photo it must be my YS.Well done jgevans

regards © SashM

fantastic picture! golden star!!!

Greetings from Germany

Gustl

Too strong, Jean! You are lucky to shoot a picture as that!

gustl, as always! Thanks!

Bernard, yes, you are very correct. That will never happen again to me!

Larry Workman QIN, Alignment is the key word, that is the very word! I got a rush when it happened, couldn't believe I saw it and was so thrilled I caught it!

Thanks, Jean

No, no, Jean, what I wanted to say, it’s that you’re lucky to photograph these animals because I in my country, in France, they don’t exist! Moreover I don’t even know what that is. I thank you of my become known credit note. In more you shot a fabulous photo. Thank a lot, Jean!

Cheers, Bernard