Category Archives: Foxes

A collection of foxes

Magpie Takes a Bath

January 10, 2014 by Words | 2 Comments

It feels like it’s been a long time since I’ve posted pictures of our more common birds so I’m starting with a couple of standard images of a blue tit and a greenfinch.

Blue Tit

The greenfinch felt like something of a treat. These ought to be very common birds around here but I don’t think I’ve seen too many recently. Their numbers are severely affected by Trichomonosis, a disease which can trigger rapid declines and is often spread through feeding sites. This one looked healthy though.

Greenfinch

I have photographed (and seen) plenty of magpies. These are flourishing, along with all the local corvids. I took this short sequence of a magpie taking a bath at lunchtime.

Magpie bathing

Magpie bathing

Magpie bathing

Magpie bathing

Magpie bathing

On the home front, Pretty is carrying a typical fox injury… she’s limping. It seems she’s cut her rear right lower leg. She is putting weight on it when she stands, but carries it when she’s negotiating steps. Leg injuries are extremely common among foxes, and a survey in Bristol some years ago found that 30% of year old foxes had a healed fracture and that this figure rose to 70% for foxes that reached five years. Clearly they don’t always look before they leap. We will, as always, keep an eye on Pretty, but I’m sure she’ll be fine. Just about every fox we’ve seen over the past 8 or so years has sported similar injuries at one time or another.

fox

Camera note: all bird photos taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens. Limping fox taken with the EF 24-105 F4L IS USM lens.

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Muscovy Ducks

January 7, 2014 by Words | 4 Comments

Falmer pond remains in danger of overflowing, and the surrounding grass banks are sodden. In other words, it’s almost perfect conditions for ducks and none more so than this jaunty pair of Muscovy ducks.

Muscovy ducks

They first appeared at the pond in 2013 but have become firm fixtures, either waddling on the banks (as here), or paddling their way across the water. They can fly (which seems an almost impossible task when you see them), but I suspect their range may be limited. As ducks go they are very human-friendly which makes me think that hey were originally farm birds. They expect to be fed and rush (as best they can) to any passing walker. I’m not a good bet though, as I never feed the wildlife at the pond.

This is the female…

Female Muscovy duck

And the male…

Male Muscovy duck

Male Muscovy duck

Further round the pond, I spotted another regular sitting precariously above the water.

Rat

The rat eventually made the decision to take the short swim across to a slightly more densely covered area where it scurried into the bank and out of the wet.

Rat swimming

Pretty is still waving the flag for the local foxes. Here she is in the garden in the earlier hours of Tuesday morning.

fox

Camera note: all photos taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens, apart from the one of Pretty the fox which was taken with the EF 24-105 F4L IS USM lens.

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Rainy Day Fox

January 5, 2014 by Words | Comments Off

The heavy rains across southern England have continued for much of today. There are occasional breaks, and tonight has been unexpectedly clear. We’re fortunate not to have seen too many problems caused by the rain (we’re up in the hills, which helps) but there is undoubtedly disruption in lower lying areas and the risk of more problems over the coming days. Along the coast in Hastings, a large section of cliff gave way. No-one was hurt but it’s a timely reminder of how unstable things can be.

Back home the foxes just seem to get on with it, but then they are among the most adaptable creatures on the planet. In previous years it’s been rare to see much of the foxes over winter months, but Pretty is here most days. These photos were taken earlier this evening.

fox

fox

fox

Camera note: all photos taken with the Canon 7D and EF 24-105 F4L IS USM lens.

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