All the regular foxes I post here are wild foxes, but while I love seeing them in the garden there's always something special about seeing a fox in its natural habitat. By natural I mean of course, woodland or downland. To foxes, living in towns is perfectly natural. They are, after all, one of the most successful animals on the planet and have adapted to Arctic and tropical conditions with barely a pause for thought (evolutionary speaking). Living in towns is just one facet of that adaptability, and town or urban foxes are generally much easier to see than their more rural cousins. So, it's a treat to see one in a rural setting, as I did this afternoon.
I was out on some local downland, hoping to see kestrels. I found a fairly high vantage point to give a better view across the valley when a slight movement in the distance caught my attention. 
I would guess that it was out looking for one of these.
I lost sight of the fox in the undergrowth, and though I hung around for about an hour it didn't return. There were no kestrels either, but I did catch sight of a green woodpecker. The first shot is typical of what you generally see… a fast retreating flash of yellow rump.
What you really want to see is this.
Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 7D and EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.
derWandersmann
3 Dec 2012Nice ones, Words … the foxes I see around here are about like that one, since we have some large tracts of relatively empty land in the metro area. What I see in the city and suburbs are coyotes.
Is there a green cast to that last photo, or is that bark a touch mossy?
serola
3 Dec 2012:yes: The last picture I wanted to see 😀
Words
3 Dec 2012dW, thanks. Coyotes in the suburbs. Wonderful! The bark is mossy, and the light was strange. It was overcast, and the sun was about an hour off setting.
Words
3 Dec 2012Sami, I knew you would 😉
derWandersmann
4 Dec 2012The coyotes don't pose much of a problem. One must look out after one's small animal pets, but by-and-large, they shouldn't be out alone, anyway. I have a private theory that they help keep rats in check, but I have no real data.
At that time of day, and in certain weather conditions, there is a surprisingly large component of green in the light, anyway.
SittingFox
4 Dec 2012I agree about 'wild' foxes – it's always wonderful to see them interacting with a non-urban environment. Nice to see the yaffle too 🙂
gdare
4 Dec 2012Beautiful bird :up:
Words
4 Dec 2012Adele, the woodpecker was a surprise. Well so was the fox, though I have seen them there previously. Both species tend to try to stay well out of sight (too many dog walkers and trail bikes).
Words
4 Dec 2012dW, I'm sure they do keep rodents down, at least to some extent. The light is generally very odd at this time of year, and it changes so rapidly.
Words
4 Dec 2012Darko, thanks!