Rascally Ringtail Raccoons on the River

Happy Friday from Cameron Mills NY

Photo journal by Janie Ferguson,

It is currently fifty four degrees, and foggy here in Cameron Mills, NY along the Canisteo River this Friday morning at 8:00 am, July 24, 2026.

This clever mother ringtail raccoon and her kits have been a delight to photograph this week. Out in the wild they are very entertaining to watch, and enjoy from a safe distance. I find it interesting that their front paws have thumb-like digits, which allow them to open up my suet feeders, along with opening garbage cans, and digging through refuse. In this 1st shot, she is just under my bird feeders. You can clearly see her ringed bushy tail here.

They are primarily nocturnal looking for food at night, although this family was out in the early morning light at 6:30 am enjoying my sunflower seeds. This was just after I put my feeders out for the day.

They are one of the reasons that I have been bringing my bird feeders in at night. From crawling up my porch railing (as evidenced in my security camera) to somehow getting to the center of my porch ceiling, where my hummingbird feeder was hanging, draining it of the nectar, and leaving behind their sticky footprints as evidence of the deed done. It was an entertaining video to watch. I sure don’t want them in my attic. I hear they can cause havoc in houses.

This next shot is of all four of them together, with momma raccoon reaching out ever so precisely with her paws for the sunflower seeds, with her black facial masked young ones above her in the pine tree. In one of my videos one of the kits just lays down right on her momma’s back.

You can see in the third shot how she stands on her back legs, and grabs each of the shepherd’s hooks to begin her climb up. She finds nothing there to eat, and quickly comes back down. This continues each evening just before sunset.

Then a shot of one of the kits looking right at me as I stand on my porch, quietly trying to capture photographs of them as they play and climb above their mother. I was very surprised to see them all together just as the sun was rising.

I’m ending with momma climbing back down, and two kits together playing in the tree. Momma is still close by.

They prefer natural habitats like lakes, rivers, and streams. So, they are right at home here along the Canisteo River.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my adventure here with these rascally little critters, that are common out here in the country, along with the photographs, too.

Enjoy your weekend, Janie