We seem to be enjoying some fairly bright autumn weather this week. It's also moderately warm so I headed over to the dewpond today. it was quieter than in the summer (as you'd expect) but I was treated to a couple of darters frolicking over the water.
I then headed over to where yesterday I photographed a rook in flight. There were several jackdaws and rooks pecking in the fields, while the magpies maintained their usual patrol along the edge of the wood. But it was this crow that caught my attention.
On my way back to my office I stopped by the area where I've the green woodpecker several times recently. Today it was being flighty, zipping among a small area of trees and taking excellent care to avoid being in camera range long enough to focus. I'm pretty certain though that I've found its home territory, which is little more than a narrow strip of trees extending along the edge of a main road. It was on the adjacent grassy area this evening. It's quite gloomy by then, and being green they are hard to spot against the grass unless you know to look.
Meanwhile, on the home front the little wood mouse is still scavenging on the bird feeder, but my attention was diverted by a more extended visit than usual by the young fox. His foot seems entirely healed, and tonight he spent a good amount of time investigating near the fence, sniffing and pawing at it. It was only while checking the photos for this entry that I noticed this shot, which may give a clue as to his behaviour. There's a flash of eye-shine coming through the fence in the circled area!
A fox the other side?
Whatever it is, it's interesting
He did hang around for a while after those two shots, and i waited in hope of his companion putting in a rare appearance. I was out of luck, but he wasn't. After several more circuits of the garden he heard a noise (actually a loud thump as a large animal bumped into something in the next garden) and shot off in a hurry to investigate, running the length of our garden with his ears pricked high in anticipation.
More photos from today in my Autumn in Sussex album.
Camera note: daytime shots all taken with the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens. The fox was photographed with the EF70-300mm 4.5-5.6 DO IS
Flying Red Fox Blog
18 Oct 2007Lovelly pc of the Crow:D Good to see the Fox is healed now and looks like hes playign a hide and seek game lol:P
Words
19 Oct 2007I love the beaks on crows. They sometimes seem almost silver (though not in that shot). The fox is doing fine as well and does seem pretty playful now he can get around properly again.
SittingFox
19 Oct 2007That eyeshine through the fence shot is a classic! 😆
Another wonderful collection – I think my favourite is the crow, though 🙂
Words
20 Oct 2007Adele, I could see him sniffing and pawing at the fence so I knew something was there. Not the brightest fox in the pack though. He can nip through that fence in several places if he wants to.