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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 |
| 2: The Den |
| As
the winter progressed, I was seeing fox
tracks frequently on my ski
trails. The winter of 2007/2008 was the second-snowiest winter on
record in the Ottawa area. There was over one metre of snow on the
ground for much of the winter and the foxes regularly followed my
ski track, where travel was no doubt easier for them. In late January, the fox tracks became more interesting---a pair were now travelling together. The foxes began going into the den occasionally in February---a very promising sign! My wife and I were away from mid-March to mid-April and this left the house and area very quiet with no-one to disturb any foxes. When we returned, most of the winter's snow was gone so there were no tracks to indicate if the foxes were still around. I carefully checked the den area (from a considerable distance with binoculars) every few days. To my utter delight, I spotted three very young fox kits at the den on April 24th. Their coats were still a dark charcoal colour, indicating they were about four weeks old. Returning with the camera, I took a few photos from behind the large tree that I had hidden behind in 2007, but then I quickly left. I was sure if I got caught there by the adults, it would be 2007 all over again. The next couple of days were quite wet. Since foxes dislike being out in the rain, I used the time to scout out a couple of safer (i.e. more distant) observation sites---one with the morning light behind me and one with the evening light at my back. There are woods on either side of the narrow end of the field where the den occurs so this would give me some cover when approaching and leaving my observing sites. At about 60 m (200 ft) each from the den, the new sites were nearly twice as far as the large tree I had hidden behind in 2007. Hopefully, this would be far enough away not to disturb the adults. Henry (1993) says that some adult foxes will tolerate humans within 6 m (20 ft) of the den, while others will move the litter if anyone gets within 90 m (300 ft) of the kits. Even with a new telephoto lens, it was still a long way for photos and the den shots here are highly-cropped. During dry weather, early- to mid-morning or early-evening seemed to be the likeliest times that the kits would be out. I'd usually watch the den area for 30-60 minutes each day. Occasionally, one of the adults would return to the den while I was watching and I would be glad I was well back. Often there would be no activity at all the entire time I watched and I would wonder if the young foxes had been moved because of my presence. On other visits, the kits were out much of the time. In the first week or so, the fox pups didn't venture far from the den entrance and would quickly dive down the hole at the slightest disturbance. But they soon became more confident. By about six-weeks old, they were constantly rough-housing and always ready to play and chase each other around the den area. The sumac colony that encircled the den was quite old and there were many leaning, dead stems. Lots of branches littered the ground. This created a natural 'jungle-gym' for the kits who often climbed up the larger, sloping trunks. This elevated young fox would then pounce down upon an unlucky sibling. Several times while I was watching the den, one of the adults passed quite close to me while it was hunting, but the fox payed me no attention. I initially thought that I had kept still and quiet enough to avoid its notice but Henry (1993, 1996) makes it very clear that there is no way that an observer can long evade the sensitive nose and acute hearing of the red fox. Clearly, the adults had accepted me as part of what Henry calls the "non-threatening landscape". Every day that I watched the playful antics of the kits, I longed to get closer for better photos. But then I would remind myself of the loss I felt in 2007 when I got too close and the adults considered me part of the "threatening landscape". As the season progressed, the grasses grew longer, and the shrubs and trees leafed out. Even with binoculars or a spotting scope, it was becoming hard to see the activity around much of the den area. At about eight weeks, the kits began to explore farther afield and I started to get glimpses of them on the lawn and gardens after dark. Continued in 3: Night Visits. © David J. White 2009 |
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