This morning I was early - and she was nursing her kids. She lays on her back and the kids crawl over her stomach and start taking milk. Her behavior is amazing. Here she is on her back with two kids nursing
The three babies and mom's ears
Mom and one of the babies
Mom and two of the babies
Mom and baby
Video of Mom's exit
Mom leaves the kids for breakfastMom Raccoon exiting her home. At about 6 min she climbs the tree and crosses over the path to a tree on the opposite side of her home. Then climbs down to another branch and crosses back over the path, then down to the ground and breakfast. The kids seem to use her feeding time as play time for themselves.
Posted by Frank Starmer on Sunday, December 13, 2015
Babies playing - practice climbing
Two kids playing
Video of the kid's playroom while mom is away
While mom is out eating breakfast - the kids practice climbing inside the tree - they are not very good - so I suspect mom thinks its too soon to take them out. I agree
Posted by Frank Starmer on Sunday, December 13, 2015
More practice climbing
Before re-entering her home - she rests outside
Video of returning home - pulling chubby self through the front door, rolls over the kids and restarts nursing
After breakfast - mom returns home and resumes nursing the kids
Posted by Frank Starmer on Sunday, December 13, 2015
then enters and the kids start nursing again
Baby nursing
Baby nursing
Mom grooming a baby while he/she nurses
Two fishermen
Osprey - looking for breakfast. I learned yesterday that if I walk close to her tree - she takes off - so this morning, I was set up for continuous focus to try to capture her flight
Landing gear down attached to the limb
Takeoff and landing gear down
Flying and retracting landing gear
Landing gear fully retracted - Osprey in flight
C. Frank Starmer