How Photographing Furry Varmints Is A Threat To The Neighborhood..

This is where we are as a a society. I am out minding my own business photographing a big group of prairie dogs when some wannabe neighborhood defender takes notice. You see, I was photographing in an area near a day care center and even though my lens was pointed AT THE GROUND, he decided that I posed sort of threat to the kids. So he he drove by me one time and pulled up to the stop sign about fifty yards past me and I noticed he was trying to take a picture of my license plate. He must have been too far away because he busted an illegal u-turn and pulled up right behind my car and began taking pictures of me, my car and my license plate. As he slowly rolled by I started yelling and gesturing towards the animals "I'm taking pictures of prairie dogs, for god's sake!" He then pointed at his phone like he was calling the cops or had some sort of evidence with a big grin on his face. At this point I had already finished shooting and was putting my gear away. He pulled up to a stop sign a little up the road so I decided I would try to explain myself to him and even show him the pictures to put him at ease. As soon as I approached, he gunned his engine and sped off as if I was coming to hurt him or something. Are people really this paranoid? Is a guy who is nerdily photographing a bunch of damn prairie dogs that scary to where you can't just pull over and ask "What are you shooting?". I understand keeping an eye out for suspicious people, but give me a break. Use some common sense.