We've been overrun with raccoons (Procyon lotor elucus) lately. Some of them have become quite aggressive and overly familiar. Normally raccoons are skittish and will avoid humans. As it has been extremely hot and dry, I assume they are hungry, like everything else that is managing to survive the natural environment.
I've been putting the bird's food in the feeders before I go to bed as I like to sleep late—and the birds get started early. Apparently the raccoons have been watching me and adjusting their behavior accordingly. Above: A young, cherubic raccoon who thinks I cannot see him munches away on sunflower seed and cat food that I'd mixed up for the birds.
I used the camera flash to try and shoo him away from the feeder and I managed to capture a few nighttime images. The flash did the trick, scaring him into moving on, if only temporarily.
He was back moments later, hissing and snarling at me, like an angry cat. I let him have the food, then brought in all the bird's food and made them wait until I got up late this morning.
While raccoons can be cute when they are young like this one (above and below). They grow up quickly and can become quite destructive in their relentless search for food. On these extremely hot and dry days they are on the move and very visible during the daylight hours, which is unusual.
They all look a little different. This baby is quite tame and very furry (below). He's so cute you could almost pick him up. But, notice the claws. He has teeth to match even at this very young age.
Below: This older raccoon has been in many fights and is scarred with boxer's ears.
He is quite a bit more menacing. Recent afternoons he has been trying to figure out how to capture
koi out of the fish ponds; not an easy feat for raccoon nor man.
Below: This mother raccoon aggressively defends her family from anything that gets close to the hollow in the tree.
Below: All of the raccoons are trying to find cooler spots on these extremely hot and dry days. They can often be seen resting at the very top of trees where the uppermost branches make a "v." I suppose it is cooler and less buggy up high.
Today was another cloud-free day in the mid-90°s F (35° C). The bugs were as thick as I've ever experienced. Swarms of hungry mosquitoes attacking anything living and breathing. Of course I rarely see anyone outside but myself. . . and I wear a complete jungle suit when outside except on the coolest of winter days (long sleeves, long pants, socks, gloves, hat). The jungle attire helps to keep some of the bugs off, but I still received dozens of bites on my face and anywhere my skin was slightly exposed.
The high pressure that is causing this oppressive weather is supposed to break down late in the week. NOAA's Climate Prediction Center shows cooler weather for the central Florida peninsula mid-July but does not hint at any rainfall for the parched east-central sand hills.