Foraging

A yell came from upstairs, 'There's a fox in the field!!!' Ran to grab my camera, shot upstairs, shot downstairs again as no battery and belted back again. Back down again as no card in and back up, a few stairs at a time. By the time I'd opened the bathroom window, sorted the settings, leant over the sink trying to get the lens outside he was at a distance of more than 400m. Ran down to get a longer lens; not even being able to see through the viewfinder because of the angle, I just pointed and pressed hoping I would catch him. I did in a couple but it was all a bit unsatisfactory to say the least.

Ever the optimist I opened the balcony doors with a bitter gale blowing inside, (luckily Hubs had gone out or I would have been in trouble!) wrapped up warm, set up the tripod and hoped with fingers crossed he would return. He did but on looking at the pictures it could see this was a second fox.

This is a male and even from a distance I could tell he was scent marking where the other dog fox had been. They would like this area, as we have an abundance of rabbits who have all been bonking for Britain. Kits in the offing would make it a territory worth marking and defending with plenty of food around. By now the vixen will have cubs in a den somewhere so he will be out foraging for the family. Happily what he didn't see between him and me were my 3 chickens in the garden 200m from his nose!