I had finished replying to my Emails, and posting my Blog; it was 6.30 am, and was just getting light. It was time to open the curtains onto the patio behind me.
You can probably understand my surprise when I saw a young Fox, about 3 meters away, walking along our back wall. He/she didn't seem worried about my presence, and just stood looking at me while I took a few photos. For a moment it looked as it was about to jump down onto our little patio, to ask for food.
Since we returned from France, I hadn't seen any Foxes at all; then this. I do like to see Foxes around, I think Billy likes them too; he just looks at them as he would any other 'dog'.
Good healthy wildlife is a sign that all is well with the natural world. I suspect that it's this same Fox who poos on our back door mat, but I'll forgive him/her. It's a 'calling card' in a slightly different form.
I suspect this one was a female, probably with cubs somewhere; and was out looking for food. She was really beautiful.
I must get a better camera!
25 comments:
I am always surprised that foxes roam the yards of your city houses at night.
You gave me a Beatrix Potter moment just now. "The Tale of Mr Tod" (the sly fox) and the equally unappealing Tommy Brock (badger).
Once upon a time I used to go out into our vast very deep garden, at dawn, on slug patrol (!), when, one morning, right at the bottom of the garden, I saw a fox slinking across. So far, so fine. Alas, our then kitten was about two/three meters away from him/her. Dear dog in heaven. Time stood still as I was computing, at lightning speed, best strategy to save kitten. Alas, the fox couldn't have been more aloof. What the kitten, frozen in time, made of the encounter I'll never know.
By the way, cubs are born in spring. What I'd like to know: Where, considering the above scenario was in the suburbs.
I salute your tolerance of the "calling card". I might not be quite so sanguine about it. Which reminds me, apropos of nothing: Did you know that to keep mice away all you need is to get a lion's turd from a zoo near you and place it, strategically, in your home? No shit.
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Theres a foxes den under the hill just at the back of our flat. I've seen several lots of cubs over the years. They were there before we came here. Over 7 years ago. Lovely to watch them play fighting. They are noisey.Sounds like babies crying. We also have buzzards in the wood on the hill. All sorts of wildlife. All this and only a mile from town.
It surprises me too, but they're very welcome.
I too would have thought that Springtime was more cub season, but a friend suggested that the behaviour meant she was desperate for food. One will never know. People talk about Foxes eating Cats, but I don't think it's true.
I love to see them. I once saw three together whilst walking the dog, and a man who was there said there had been five. As long as they are healthy, and don't destroy anything, they can only be a welcome addition, like Birds or Squirrels.
It is lovely to see them but twice now they ( I assume it is they!) have made small exit holes from our garden behind a hedge that the new rescue dog has taken full advantage of!
Foxes as you say are wildlife, but these days they are urban, being fed rather than catching their own food means numbers in cities rise, here they are already becoming a nuisance. I too love foxes but not in my garden.
It's lovely to see a fox close up. We don't have any on the island but we see them on the mainland. Alas, often dead in the middle of the road.
Alive they're beautiful with their long bushy tails
There's not really a solution to that, other than blocking the Fox's entrance and exit. More importantly you don't want your Dog escaping.
I think they mostly tidy up the detritus left by customers of McDonalds, etc. I don't think many people actually feed them; other than a few stalwarts.
The one I saw yesterday was really beautiful. Almost as if it'd been to a 'Grooming Parlour'.
What a super encounter to start your day! The resourcefulness of foxes is truly admirable. Most citizens are with the foxes but a few are against. I don't know why. Up The Foxes!
Some people wrongly think that they kill domestic Cats and Dogs; they don't. It's their home as much as ours and they should be respected.
That's a pose. They obviously know you're a blogger.
She really WAS posing for me. Most animals would have run away, but she just stayed and looked at me.
Nice photo and she's looking right toward the camera. I hope you get to see her young as they play like puppies.
An amazing sight. Thanks for sharing.
I did see one lot a few years ago, playing behind the church.
It was lovely. I hope she visits again.
We don't have many takeaway venues here, our local facebook pages are full of photos of foxes being fed.
I hope the fox isn't hungry - Would it be possible to leave her a little suitable food tucked away somewhere at the cemetery if she frequents there if not at yours as the cold weather will soon be here - flis x
I loved foxes in the backyard (and admit to feeding them) and them seemed to get along fine with our hedgehogs. I figured foxes would discourage rodents.
We did discuss putting out some food, but I'm not sure it's a good idea. If we had a bigger garden I might, but I don't really want a queue of Foxes in our tiny patio.
Well, we certainly don't have any rats or mice around. Maybe that's why!
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