Foxy!

Yesterday, our neighbor Greg alerted Robert to a family of red foxes that live on his property. He knows that I enjoy filming wildlife. Greg chatted with Robert and sent him a picture in a text of the foxes trotting down our rural road, unabashedly. I think it’s a mother and four kits, as in one photo a slightly larger fox is carrying something in it’s mouth that Greg reported was a rabbit.

I was invited to film on Greg’s property with the hope that I would spot one or more of the foxes.

“They come out of the woods back behind the large dirt pile,” Greg told Robert. A few years ago, Greg had dug a very large pond on his property. A significant pile of soil remains from that activity, which is quite obvious and a good marker to help me locate the foxes.

It was late in the day and the cloud cover was nearly 100%, however I ached to discover if there might be a chance to spot a fox close enough to film. It was 6:19 PM when I took off in my golf cart up the road. I assumed a position slightly behind the dirt pile and faced the woods. I figured there was a very small chance I’d see a fox. When I move into any location on our own property (where I travel several times a week), it typically takes twenty minutes or more for the birds that flew off when I enter their zone, to return to the area. If I don’t remain quiet and still, that time could be extended. I figured that foxes would take much longer to tolerate my presence, since they had never seen me or my golf cart before.

Sitting patiently and hopeful for foxes, I was running my Merlin bird ID app as I heard a couple of songs that I did not recognize. While our property has small stands of mature trees, we don’t has what one would consider “woods.” There are woods across the street from our house, where we actually own a 1 acre parcel that sits adjacent to a small creek. So I do get to hear and observe some woodsy species. However, Greg’s property is comprised of many acres of woods and there are species of birds that live there which i rarely observe.

Merlin identified a Warbling Vireo and a Great Crested Flycatcher, both which I’ve witnessed on our property. However, it also recognized a Yellow-throated Warbler, which I have never heard before. I was so focused on the bird vocalizations that I nearly missed the arrival of a fox!

This absolutely beautiful creature simply trotted out of the woods, seemingly focused on a specific target. It made its way to a position slightly behind the edge of the dirt pile, but just before it went out of sight it detected the sound of my camera shutter and glanced my way and froze for a moment. Our eyes locked. I held my breath. Apparently, he didn’t determine that I was a threat as he continued on his path and snatched what appeared to be a partially eaten animal. Based on the size of the bone, I suspect it was a rabbit.

The fox (I can’t actually say whether this was the mama or one of the kits – but I’m guessing it was a youngster based on the fuzzy coat), hung out for several minutes while it tugged at his prize for an early evening snack.

It was an absolute delight to witness this animal. I have known since I was a child that dog (or it’s relatives) is my kindred spirit. I vibe so closely with canines, that it just soothed me to watch this amazing creature. I wish the lighting had been better so the images were more clear, but that’s almost unimportant to me with this subject. I’m just grateful to have had the experience.

I hope to have the time to get back to the “dirt pile” again in hopes of seeing this beauty and perhaps his siblings and mother.