Why is light so dark?

My point is this: I would have thought, in the 6 years between buying my first and current digital cameras, that night (or at least low light) photography would have improved enormously. But I think my new camera actually takes worse low-level photos than my old Agfa! It was still plenty bright out when we had a bunch of raccoons show up at the feeder, and I tried again in vain to get even one decent shot of them! No matter how many settings I tried, THIS was the best that I could get:



These are CUTE animals, people! I want to share them with you, and have a record for myself for posterity. But for some reason, as light as it is, is STILL isn't light enough for my bloody camera. Most of them turned out to be a screen full of dark noise. GRRRRRRR....

*sigh* I'm just frustrated. Nikon stuff is usually so very awesome, and I guess I'm just expecting too much from a < $400 camera. It just seems the little red light on the camera signaling "I can't focus!/There's not enough light!" comes on ALL the time...

*sigh* Cute animals, people...very cute.