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Red
Fox Journal and Photos
by David J. White |
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Introduction
1: 2007
2: The Den 3: Night Visits
4: Lady 5: Prince 6: Princess
7: Kits at Play 8: Rivalry 9: Tracking 10: 2009 11: Fox Life 101 12: References and Links |
| 1: 2007 |
| Six
weeks after seeing the fox pair
travelling past the house in mid-March, I happened to be walking
toward the old foundation one evening when movement ahead caught my
eye. I
looked up and froze . . . less than 10 m (30 ft) away were two young
fox kits
watching me intently from the well-worn entrance to their den. As
demurely as possible, I turned and walked, then jogged, back to the
house
to get the camera. One kit was still out when I got back so I took a
few
photos and then quickly retreated. Hoping they might be out the same time each day, I went down to watch the den the next evening, this time from a different spot behind a large tree which allowed a reasonably concealed approach and viewpoint. At 30 m (100 ft), it was a bit far for my camera lens but watching them with binoculars was wonderful. For a brief period, there were five kits out together. I returned two more evenings at about the same time and quickly became enthralled watching them play and interact. They were just like puppies---but wild ones! Often there would be only one or two out at a time. The first couple of visits, I watched only 10-15 minutes. On the third evening, I stayed a bit longer but I started to hear an odd screech or wail behind me that I didn't recognize. I could not see what was making the sound from where I was and the kits did not seem to react to the call. Finally, I slipped away, already looking forward to the next night's entertainment. But the next night or two were puzzling because the kits were not about. A bit of reading and listening to sound clips made me realize that the strange calls I heard at the den on the third visit were those of a fox---probably an upset adult fox who didn't like my presence near the kits. After I made a few more lonely evening visits, it was clear that the adults had moved the young foxes to a different den. I was profoundly disappointed---my cute little fox buddies were gone. One evening near sunset in late July, a very fit-looking young fox trotted up the field and past the house. Most likely, this was one of the five kits I had watched briefly at the den in April. There were occasional signs of foxes around during the rest of summer and fall, but no more sightings until the winter. I had my fingers crossed that the adult foxes would return to the old foundation to have another litter in 2008. Continued in 2: The Den. © David J. White 2009 |
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