It's just over a week since I last posted about the foxes. Generally it's been quiet, with the old dog fox being the mainstay although I've had the odd glimpse of one of the vixens. And one more leisured appearance on the 26th. 
When the old dog fox reappeared in the garden late last autumn he seemed to have a small injury or infection around his left eye. It was slightly weepy, but over the last three months it had cleared up and I hadn't really given it any more thought. That is until tonight. I was out by the pond photographing the frog spawn when he showed up. He was in fine fettle apart from a half-closed left eye. 
On closer inspection (praise be for zoom lenses and digital cropping, because otherwise the odds of seeing much at night are slim) the eye doesn't appear to be injured, although there is some discharge in the corner. One to keep an eye on (pardon the pun).
Meanwhile the frogs have gone quiet. After the frenzy of breeding they remained active for a few days but now have all but disappeared again. I see the odd head surfacing in the pond, but none of the frantic behaviour of last week.
Camera note: the vixen was photographed with the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG macro lens; tonight's fox, and the frogs, with the EF 24-105 F4L IS USM.
20 Comments
Poor old fella, he always seems to be in the wars. Not looking to bad overall though.
How is the vixen with the suspected mange?
Yes, the Vixen.. have been wondering about her too.
My, my! Never seen so many frogs in one spot.
The dog fox makes me think of my daughters huskie. Her son had pink eye and loe and behold… the huskie got it too. She put some of the antibiotic creme left over from her son's bout of pink eye (conjunctivitis) and it cleared up the huskie eyes as well.
2 for one! 😉
We've had a stray cat with a an eye something like that. I've used triple antibiotic ointment and that seemed to help. It was cleared up but now it's back. At least with the ointment he isn't wiping his eye juice all over the place.
I hope his eye isn’t causing him any trouble. It would probably drive me crazy if my eye was like that.
Wow, do the frogs have enough room in there? :eyes:
Eric, the frogs seem to appear from nowhere. All year I'll estimate about half a dozen frogs, then come breeding season the pond ovrflows with them for about a fortnight. Then they vanish. Very peculiar!
Bitzy, there's not much we can do for the fox other than observe, although some years ago we did treat our own dog for an eye infection with homeopathy (via a vet). But we had a cream as well! I think it was the cream that did the trick on that occasion. More difficult to get a fox to keep still while you poke at its eyes :eyes:
Lois, creams work well, but he's just going to have to put up with it. It doesn't seem to be bothering him too much. They seem very resilient to the scrapes and knocks they get.
Impressive clutch of frogs :eyes:
I guess he does have some kind of infection. Must be very aggravating for him. But as you say, he'll probably throw it off without much trouble.
Mickeyjoe, it seems to be the way with foxes, but they cope pretty well. I did see the vixen again shortly after I suspected mange. Although she looked slightly tatty I was less convinced on second sighting, though she may have suffered an injury as she was limping quite a bit. So she's probably ok!
I like the frog convention shot! I do hope that eye problem clears up soon. Poor chap!
poor kiddo.
Jane writes:
Great pictures of your foxes. Loved looking at them. I've just set up a webcam and CCTV infra red camera in my garden to watch the foxes which have a den under our shed. The frogs are amazing too… I really must dig myself a pond this year! Jane @ urbanextension.wordpress.com
Adele, that was about the peak for the frogs this year. They were making quite a racket.
I'm not too worried by his eye problem. An entirely unwounded fox is quite a rarety!
Jane, you're getting some good footage of your foxes :up: The pond really adds to the wildlife we get. It more or less looks after itself, and there's usually something of interest going on in it.
Thanks Vulpes!
pfelelep, he'll probably be fine!
The Foxes are getting so photogenic (i think thats the right word) many have been my desktop screen and my mobile phone screen:P Its not long until they give birth to cubs now, hope we get to see them soon.
Thats a LOT of Froggies!
Studio41, glad you liked them!
Mark, I've got one on my mobile phone as well 😉 I would have thought the cubs are arriving any day now. I haven't seen either vixen for a little while. Possibly a good sign (I hope)!
what cute froggies!