Two little hairy balls still sleeping in the nest. We might need some raccoon smileys!

It seems that I've heard that the Delta OWL pair has a habit of trying to build new nests but not being very successful - which may be why they came back to the nest that was pre-built last year. I don't know what they'll do this year, and don't remember hearing any reports that anyone has seen anything that looks like an alternate nest. If they were really building one, I'd think they'd be spending a lot of time bringing in sticks at this point, so Judy W or some of the other folks in the area might be able to see where they're going.

And speaking of where they're going....

I've seen several large birds flying in and out of the upper branches (or at least that looked like where they were going, based on trajectory - and do wonder if they are trying to figure out what to do with these new things in the nest!

Added -
Any idea if the raccoons are youngsters or an adult pair? They look relatively small to me, but I know the size of the nest can trick my sense of perspective.

gee I wish I knew Judy! what I do know is if this does turn out to be their home....I'm hooked! look at that little bandit's face



highest breeding mths are February and March. The male finds a female to mate and then within a week, move to the next female.

once females become impregnated, she will deliver in about 63 days. The babies are known as “kits”, being born anytime from April to June.

raccoons in the wild will live to around age five but in captivity, many have grown as old as 20.

Good catch, Lori - I tried to get my screen on top in time, but missed it.

10:58 pm
Still there, sleeping away.

I'm reading about them now Judy, added some facts above you

Aw, cute capture of the bandit face Lori. So cute!

aren't they sweeet Dar!! I had a mother raise her babies in my loft above the garage last year. No way was I having them removed....cute but destructive! Still haven't fiixed the facia out there where they ripped it open

he had an itch

PBS recently had a Nature documentary about raccoons:

Some of their diseases, including roundworm, trichinosis and rabies, also place people and pets at risk.

The roundworms don't hurt the raccoons, but the eggs of the roundworms are found in the raccoon's feces. When the eggs dry out, they can become air-borne. I know these inhaled dried eggs can pose a danger for humans (can become extremely ill and in some cases die according to a recent documentary on PBS). I wonder what ill effects they would have on birds? On eaglets? At wildlife hospitals, we are encouraged to wear masks when cleaning cages and doing laundry so we don't inhale aerosolized feces.

The documentary can be found on the PBS website. It was fascinating! If you have time, check it out.

click here---->> Raccoon Nation