Foxy

Despite setting off with a view to photographing a bird on what was another cold and frosty morning, I couldn't resist featuring this fellow instead.

I had just discovered that the next stage of the path that I had been following was under water, water that was covered with a thin sheet of ice. I could see that the bridge across the stream was actually under a few inches of water, the big question was how deep was the water between me and the bridge, and indeed, how deep was it on the other side of the bridge.  A few minutes tentative wading, using my monopod as means of breaking the ice and testing the depth, convinced me that I wasn't going to be crossing that bridge any time soon. 

Back on dry land, I decided to reconsider my route, and leant against the shaded edge of a five barred gate to do so, as it also gave good cover from which to try to take photos of the nearby small birds.  After a while I became aware of some movement, which turned out to be a fox.  The wind was coming from behind the fox, so it couldn't smell me and I hoped that it would get closer before it realised that I was there.  But sadly, even though I kept very still, I was eventually spotted before the animal got as close as I really wanted it to be,  at which point it turned tail and trotted back the other way.

I know that just nearby Bristol has a population of urban foxes, but this fellow was photographed on the Somerset Levels and is very much the healthier country cousin, Beatrix Potter would have dressed him in a 3 piece tweed suit with the sort of large checked pattern that race goers wear.