Fox, Hedgehog and Badger

Just a very quick post, as it's late.

The hedgehogs are dominating the garden at the moment. There's always two or three wandering around looking to put on weight before winter.

The bold vixen has also been around, though until tonight it had been several days since our paths had crossed. She was in one of her relaxed moods, and settled down to rest on the wet grass.

The peace was disturbed when a cub appeared at he back of the garden. Foolishly I thought this was a 'good thing' and I'd get a chance to photograph the pair together. How wrong! One look at the cub, and the vixen transformed into a wild banshee. The cub turned tail and fled. Clearly some territorial games going on, but it confirms my suspicion that the fairly brutal fight caught on the trail cam a few weeks back was indeed the vixen attacking an 'intruder' cub. Here's the cub just before it fled!

To close, tonight's entry a short badger update. I recently noticed that the badger was limping heavily. She is still limping, but these clips from last night do show that she can put weight on the leg so I'm hopeful that it's just 'one of those things' that will heal up on its own.


Nature Blog Network
Camera note: all tonight's shots were taken with the Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG macro lens.

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This Post Has 10 Comments

  1. gdare

    13 Aug 2009

    She looks adorable and :happy:

  2. studio41

    13 Aug 2009

    boy, your badger and Adele's vixen are having limping issues… I wonder if they meet up and play hard or something?… hope she heals up soon. (and I hope I'm not mixed up again on your guys' blogs…)

    love that photo number one, your garden looks great.

  3. SittingFox

    13 Aug 2009

    The post has a hedgehog; thus, it isn't mine 😉

    Interesting observations of the foxes' behaviour. I hope it is an unrelated cub! Long ago, I saw two vixens squabbling and a young cub rush up behind one of them, presumably trying to join in.

  4. Words

    13 Aug 2009

    Adele, I'm never quite sure what the foxes are up to. A few years back the dog fox went from devoted parent to tyrant with one of the cubs, at around this time of year. He just didn't want the cub intruding on his territory. The cub disappeared in August (I think) and made one very wary return in September, sporting a nasty looking bite. Foxes certainly have to grow up quick.

  5. Words

    13 Aug 2009

    Darko, yes she's an angel when she's like that.

  6. Words

    13 Aug 2009

    Jill, limping seems to be an occupational hazard for the larger mammals. The garden always looks good in close-up 😉

  7. annoushkiss

    14 Aug 2009

    The hedgehogs are little plump cuties! awww
    The vixen is amazingly relaxed :up:
    Also nice video of the badger 🙂 Hopefully she'll recover soon…

  8. Flying Red Fox Blog

    14 Aug 2009

    Lol at getting confused over at Words and Adele's blogs, iam sure one is a male and the other female and blog backgrounds are different 😆

    Very nice to catch all the action, i saw a few Bats flying round my garden at Dusk but are too quick to photograph,, maybe one day i will catch them 😀

    Iam off to Gatwick tomorrow, i will post about last week's emergency landing soon! caught on camera and film.

  9. Words

    14 Aug 2009

    Mark, bats are almost impossible. I've never got close with the camera, but I love seeing them. Looking forward to your photos and vid from Gatwick. Sounds exciting!

  10. Words

    14 Aug 2009

    Anna, I think the badger will be fine. The vixen was being so sweet. She's not always like that, but it's nice when she is. As for the hedgehogs,… 😀

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