Leaping for Joy

Posted by Steven Kennard
A young fox is jumping in the air right next to a rough tree trunk. We don't see what is on the ground under the fox causing it to jump.
Pouncing – bad news for the vole

This may be bad news for the vole, but it’s good news for the young fox! Although we don’t see the foxes as much as we used to, they are still around and making their presence known now and again. This is always a cheering moment as they seem to be such happy creatures trotting across the field. I have a young friend who particularly likes foxes and this is for her and her family.

Happy Fox Friday to all! This little one and his siblings are on my animals gallery here: https://stevenkennard.com/blog/skgallery/animals

Siblings

Posted by Steven Kennard
Two young foxes are facing in the direction of the camera, one sitting horizontal to us, the other has its back turned, tail facing us. They are in a grassy area with a tree trunk just appearing to the left side of the frame. They look as if they've been called.
What do you want?

Our fox family seems to have dispersed, though one young one is still hanging around in the evenings. We think she took shelter under our house in the torrential rain we have had recently. This photo of the siblings was taken back when they were all playing around us. By popular demand, I will share this last photograph, unless I get more of the remaining youngster. We hope that the vixen will feel comfortable to come back and have her litter here next spring.

All the animal photos, including the foxes are featured full size on my “Animals” gallery which you can view here: https://stevenkennard.com/blog/skgallery/animals

Fox on the Hunt

Posted by Steven Kennard

One of the young foxes was hunting a vole just when I happened to be looking out of the
French windows with my camera nearby. The glass, though clean, has softened the images somewhat, but we get an idea of the energy and excitement of the hunt. Clicking on any of the images takes you to the full gallery of foxes and other animals.

Here he’s spotted his prey:

A young red fox with black legs is running fast, with only one foot on the ground as it runs. It almost looks as if it might fall on its face in its haste to get going. It is running across a green, grassy area.
On the hunt
A young red fox with black legs and ear tips is leaping, all four feet off the ground, parallel to the ground, with its tail curved out and down. Its head is looking down at the dried rough ground underneath. There is green grass and weeds around and the bottom of a tree trunk.
About to pounce. Bad news for the vole.
A young red fox, with a pale underside and black paws is leaping in the air, almost vertically. Its head is cocked down towards the ground, as if it's looking at something among the dried grasses and green weeds. There is a tree trunk on the right of the frame.
Levitation

*For those who are concerned, foxes don’t play with their prey when it’s live, like cats. So the vole is already dead when we see the play.

A young red fox with black legs, muzzle and ear tips is standing with tail raised and arched. It has just flung a little dead mole it has killed into the air and it is watching the little creature fall. There is a tree trunk behind it and the bottom of another in the background.
Don’t play with your food