@jbird56 and I were walking to our cars, having spent some time at the Jarvis Wild Bird Sanctuary and my eye went toward some people in brightly colored hammocks. And then -- movement -- a raccoon!
A couple of weeks ago @cityhillsandsea posted a wild Tanuki -- a sort of Japanese raccoon -- and I told him I have never seen a wild one before. So here we are, a North American Raccoon in the wild.
@cityhillsandsea -- NOT a Tanuki but I think this little raccoon appeared because I had told you I had never seen a Tanuki or even anything tanuki-ish in the wild before.
@jyokota He's great! And he looks to be in much better health than his Japanese cousin. (Although I've heard they're not actually related species at all. It's strange how similar they look!)
Thank you all for appreciating this photo and sending it to Top Twenty! Many of you know I haven't left the house or backyard in over a year but fully vaccinated, my world has opened up to outdoor gatherings with a few and I have discovered that the Chicago Meetup Photography group is delightfully active and has many interesting people I've enjoyed meeting. This particular morning started with a meetup at North Pond in the morning, we walked around the zoo to see the herons, then to the Boardwalk at South Pond, and went on to Jarvis Migratory Bird Sanctuary. By then, we were pooped so we sat on a bench and listened to birds, photographed from the bench, when suddenly we saw a Mama Raccoon and Baby. Shortly thereafter, we saw this little guy. As a children's literature person, I've always liked the stories of Little Raccoon. So here he is, a live Little Raccoon. Oh, and the organizer of that Meetup has joined us here on 365 -- @jbird56 so please join me in welcoming her here.
@jyokota I love that you learned new photography subjects and have embarrassed your backyard instead of giving up. I think the pandemic has been restrictive and informative. We have learned if we can cope.
Thank you all for appreciating this photo and sending it to Top Twenty! Many of you know I haven't left the house or backyard in over a year but fully vaccinated, my world has opened up to outdoor gatherings with a few and I have discovered that the Chicago Meetup Photography group is delightfully active and has many interesting people I've enjoyed meeting. This particular morning started with a meetup at North Pond in the morning, we walked around the zoo to see the herons, then to the Boardwalk at South Pond, and went on to Jarvis Migratory Bird Sanctuary. By then, we were pooped so we sat on a bench and listened to birds, photographed from the bench, when suddenly we saw a Mama Raccoon and Baby. Shortly thereafter, we saw this little guy. As a children's literature person, I've always liked the stories of Little Raccoon. So here he is, a live Little Raccoon. Oh, and the organizer of that Meetup has joined us here on 365 -- @jbird56 so please join me in welcoming her here.