Heidi Chronicles: March Mayhem

This is the ongoing story of Heidi and friends, raccoons who frequent my backyard wildlife buffet.

With 15 or so residents mostly females, it promises to be another difficult summer at the buffet. Heidi has already had her litter this year and many of the others are likely carrying theirs now. The buffet should be full of kits soon, too full as moms generally do not like others around their young kits.

Prior thread: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/957822/
Original thread: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/603944

Below is another pic of Ursula. Time for someone to take the camera out again.

** is watching thread....

me too.....

Hi Terese! Hi zhinusmom!

Good to see you both here.

Meeeee too!

LOL, I soooo love that "The End" picture!

Hi June! Hi KyWoods!

Thanks, KyWoods. Glad you like my The End sign. The last time I was out there with my camera, I snapped a pic every time I noticed a solitary raccoon with its posterior facing me. Back when I 1st started using those The End pics some time back, I had planned to make that a regular feature. I think sometimes the link to the next thread may get overlooked. I figured The End of a raccoon would be harder to miss and kindof cute, too. So now I'm working on gathering End shots for this use.

Thanks again!

Hahahahahha. I think no matter what the shot they all cute and thankful for eahc one ya take and I get to see.

I am waiting to see a photo of "the Steal".....

Thank you, starlight!

Hi Sharran,

There may be some still photos of the shove and the steal somewhere back in the threads, probably spring and summer of 08. Can't recall.

There are a few video clips.

The shove:
The following links are from the same shoving match. Note the 2 raccoons in the back of the screen on the right pushing and shoving with their bodies like children. I can't change the zoom on my camera while shooting, so I couldn't zoom in on the action. But you can still get the idea.
The Shove part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7YcQbR_Dcw
The Shove part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLMhle65wAo

The Steal:
These are all of Dennis back when she used to do it wrong, but you can get the idea. These are the best we have for now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn7hGITgQ3U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCw4wo9lMxU

Several times here I've mentioned that among the gazillions of animals here, we have a resident peacock. He really belonged to the gardens down the street a ways but he ran away and adopted our community as his new home. They came for him many times but no matter how many times they took him home, he always came back here. He could be seen strutting down the middle of the street, walking through yards, etc. He would walk right through my front yard even with me out there.

Anyhow, I brought this up to say that a link on the HOA website says the peacock died. : (
He wasn't my pet or anything, and to be honest he could be annoying when he got in the mood to start screaming for his lady in the middle of the night, but still I hated to hear that he had died. They said they would tell us more in the next HOA newsletter. You know, like "news at 11".

Aww, that's sad. I do hope he had a good life with plenty to eat.

KyWoods,

I figure he must have been happy because he chose to live here. He left a home at a historic estate/plantation/garden that is open to the public (at a price) to come here. They have people there to maintain the animals. I'm sure he would have been well fed and cared for while he was there. My vet once told me that she goes there annually to check out the animals including the peacocks. She said one of them attacked and injured her, so she warned me to keep my distance from 'our' peacock. Anyhow, the peacock must have been happy here since he left there many times and always came back here.

The blurb on our website seemed to indicate that someone here was feeding him and taking care of him. He also nibbled here and there in all of our yards. He would walk a bit, nibble a bit, freeze in one position for a bit, and then repeat. The latter was funny because when you drove by and saw him in the frozen stance in someone's yard, he actually looked like a fancy lawn ornament. You had to do a double take to realize that you were actually looking at a real peacock.

Oh, and if you are wondering if he was lonely here, I know that at least once he managed to get one of the pea hens to run away with him. He brought her here - and they made lot and lots of noise in the middle of the night.

LOL, yep, sounds like he had a good life!

Thanks for the links, Scutler, fun to watch, and I watched them several times tonight. Almost like being there.

Really enjoyed the video......so cool to watch for those of us who aren't so lucky to have all these little furry friends.

I just found this whole saga, and spent the last couple of hours reading past threads (long after I said I was going to bed.)

What a hoot! Now I've got the thread watched, and am looking forward to updates!

Angie

Sorry to hear about the peacock. Can't say that I'd want one living in the yard, since they can be both noisy and messy, but they are fascinating birds. They always make me wonder what recreational drug Mother Nature indulged in the day she designed those feathers: an awesome mating display, no doubt, but what a horrid survival idea.

I think you answered your own question about the Bast-Dennis encounter with that great description of the Steal and why it works. Yearling youngsters seem to be on their own from anyone's point of view, even their own mom's; and they approach head-first, a big social faux pas. Breeding females, on the other hand, seem to be perceived by everyone as having a much higher priority; plus Dennis has mastered the Steal at last, and the raccoon Emily Post seems to require a graceful surrender by the stealee.

I'd forgotten that Bast arrived around the same time as Cruella, Ursula, etc. If she is from the same genetic branch as those girls, Bast is one heck of a lot smarter and better socialized. She is so far the only true outsider who has been thoroughly accepted by the group, isn't she? Diva wasn't, Cruella certainly wasn't, and Ursula is allowed only on condition of good behavior. She is definitely a raccoon to watch: with that ability to blend so well with an established family group, there are few limits to her potential.

It is way past time for a grocery trip, and there are no treats to be found in the house anywhere. Dennis always expects a treat, and I do so hate to disappoint her. If there are no treats she will stand up with her paws on my knee and wait for her treat. Last night I just didn't have anything (treatwise) that I could share with a group of 15, but I did take about 4 of those pb dog yogurt drops in my pocket for Dennis. Hated to do that, but I just couldn't afford enough of those for the whole gang. (that would take the whole jar) I can usually give Dennis a couple of small treats like that w/o getting the others 'started'. I also grabbed a couple of Mary Janes and some choc covered marshmallow and cashew mini bars on the way out the door.

I do so wish that you could see how sweetly Dennis reaches up with her little hands to take those small yogurt drops from me. I put one or two on the edge of the table, too. It's cute to watch her reach over the edge with one hand and feel for what is up there w/o even standing up high enough to see up there. They are too cute. I gave her one of the mini choc mm bars which kept her entertained for a few minutes. I was especially surprised to see how well she handled the Mary Jane that I gave her. That keep her occupied and out of trouble for a good while, but she managed to eat it quite well. Those things are too hard for me to bite them, so I have to put the whole thing in my mouth which can be a bit messy. Apparently, the Mary Jane didn't make for much of a challenge for raccoon teeth, however. Dennis sat back on her haunches, held the 'stick' of candy between her two front paws, and ate it by taking small bites off the top. It was the chewing that took a while, but she didn't seem to mind that part.

I gave the remaining Mary Janes to some of the others and broke the remaining choc marshmallow bars up to toss them around as well. I tried to make sure that each one got one little treat kind of like that after dinner mint.

The gang was much better behaved last night. Heidi was there. That always helps to keep them a little better focused, and there was no strawberry jam to turn them into crazy coons.

I opened the blinds on the front window yesterday morning to see a raccoon on the front step. What really caught my eye though was how tiny it's little 'hands' were. They looked so tiny & delicate.

Dennis just sounds so adorable...Mary Jane would be a cute name to keep in mind!

This message was edited Mar 24, 2009 9:25 AM

Hi nanny,

Yes, there little 'hands' are tiny and delicate looking - but this is one instance where looks can be very deceptive. For attaching onto trees and other things they rival velcro and super glue. They are also near deadly weapons once the 9in nails are taken into account. Yet, they can also be used in the gentlest manner to take something as tiny as an M&M from between your thumb and forefinger as gently as one can imagine. On the other hand, until you have been in a tug of war with a raccoon it is difficult to imagine the amount of pulling force those tiny hands and arms can generate, a force which seems clearly disproportionate to their size.

Mary Jane. I like that. Must keep it in mind.

ROTF, Ruth,

I like this:

That's a good one.

Cruella is still not really accepted, not even when she does behave. I haven't seen her in ages, not since the older ones returned and the crowd grew so large and hungry. The last few times I did see her, she was mostly coming out late after most of the others had left and the pickings were few. Even then, the others would often chase her around the area before allowing her to scrounge for leftovers.

Last year although no one gave Bast any grief, it was clear that they didn't associate with her. She was just there. Her presence was accepted, but she wasn't part of the inner circle. I suspect that her rather unique ability to both hold her own in a fight and stay out of trouble went a long way in winning her that level of acceptance. This year, now that she is one of the few returning adults, she seems to be more a part of the group. She does seem quite talented. I have a lot of respect for Bast. She seems quite sensible and mature (in behavior).

As you mentioned before, there are many ways in which she can be an asset to the group. She can supply an infusion of fresh DNA into the mix. Her intelligence, excellent 'raccoon' skills, and unique form and coloring will all benefit the gene pool. In time she or one of her descendants may produce a new dominant male to complement the 'Heidi' line of females.

Edited once to fix quote, 2nd time to add this comment as to why I edited the post
This message was edited Jun 9, 2009 11:18 PM

This message was edited Jun 9, 2009 11:21 PM

Now there's a thought: can you picture a male with Bast's lean feline form? With all the male muscle, he'd look like a little cougar pacing the diner.

Oh my, I'm gone a few days and it will take me a while to get caught up on all the latest happenings.

Momma at work did show up and loved the eggs and other goodies I have offered her. Her signs of hanging out on the deck are very apparent because of the paw prints on the sliding glass door, and I'm sure others feed her as well or I don't think she would stay around.

Scutler, I want to thank you for all the tips you give on different things they like to eat, and to think I have thrown many things out because they were stale; shame on me. I think lately my momma thinks she is at a smorgasbord.

As always, keep up the good work, I can't wait to see more pics.

Annie

That reminds me, I have a lot of racoon prints to wash off our glass door. I guess since Kitty Coon came along, there just aren't enough leftovers to go around. I have caught her eating the dog food and people food scraps that I put out for the coons, even after she eats her own food!

The King always used to remind me of a cougar (sniffle, sniffle) with his golden coat and long muscular body. Anybody got a tissue? (h-o-n-k!)

Hi Annie,

Great to have you back. As for the raccoons, it's that time of year now when the females are mostly either pregnant or nursing. Either way they have humongous apetites.

I'm sure she things she has found the mother load. Glad to pass on what I've learned about their favorites and happy to know that it has helped you.

KyWoods,

Uh, oh. Any chance Kitty Coon might be 'in the mommy way', too? Sure hope not. As for the raccoons, like I mentioned above, it's that time of year. Just a month or so ago, mine scarcely had much of an appetite at all. They were very picky. Now they run through the diner like a swarm of locusts - and leave nothing in their wake.

I sure hope not! I keep watching her belly, and so far she doesn't have the belly-swelling.

I need to get to bed early tonight, well, ok, maybe just less late. No time to talk, so I will leave you with this pic of Dennis. It's a little out of focus because she was only a few inches from the lens, and I didn't have it on the macro setting. Still, I like the pic. I think it very Dennis. She is squinting just a little. After all, she is a few inches from the flash. (That's my knee at the bottom of the pic.)

I have a bunch more pics to come - and most are not of Dennis.

That is a precious picture....such a sweet face.

Hi zhinusmom!

Isn't she just a little teddy bear? : )

Ok, I just have to do one more pic. This one is just a teaser, not a serious pic. I took this shot just before the one above. I was trying to get a close up of Dennis while she was standing at my knee, but after I pushed the button and before the shutter could close, she put her nose on the lens to check it out - and in the middle of all those flashes.

So here is a macro look at Dennis' nose - it's so close it's touching the lens, so close you can't see it at all. LOL

I love it!! Both of them.

I have been reading the old thread, the first one. What a very long way you and they have come.

How fun!

That is the picture I get of the cat, and the little boy my daughter babysits....as soon as they see the camera, it's how close can we get between when she releases the shutter and the falash goes off.....guess they are all kids!!

Great photo of Dennis! And the second one is a hoot.

I too need the tissues every time I think of HRH. Miss hearing about and seeing pictures of the big guy, probably always will. Interesting that he reminded you of a cougar; to me, he always brought bear images to mind, especially when he slouched that big hunky body down to eat with belly exposed. The one consolation is that his coloring was so distinctive that I suspect you'll be seeing glimpses of him in the babies for years to come.

Oh fantastic. Pics!!!!!!! Thank you so much. The first one so sweet liek he really tryign to show ya her good side, but love the second one. hehehehehe that one is one that ya put on notebooks and notecovers.

Lookie them eyes and that nose. Poor Dennis was probabyl blindign by the light after that pic. : )

Those pics of Dennis are so adorable! She is definiately one of a kind!