After yesterday's complete hash of an attempt to photograph the fox at work, I made almost as much mess of another shot today. That blur on the left is in fact the tail end of the injured fox I spotted in the garden last month. It was taken a couple of minutes after I got home, through the back window.
The first sighting of the fox was earlier today, by my Better Half. She saw it in the garden, and sent me an email:
It was difficult to see how the long wound above the eye was doing, but it seems to be healing. Not deep red anymore, and there seems to be fur around it, although you can still see where the wound is (like a line between the fur). The eye looked a bit closed, though otherwise the fox looked in very good shape, and was cocking its leg around the bushes by the pond. It was doing a lot of scent marking.
From the very brief glimpse I got, the wound definitely is improved, though still visible. We're obviously delighted that it's doing ok, and it means that both younger adults are still very much in the vicinity. Indeed the shy vixen we saw a couple of nights ago was back briefly again this evening. She stayed long enough for me to grab a reasonable shot from the bottom of the garden.
No news of the work-place fox, but I'll keep watching.
The other bit of news I got today was about the publication of a book called La Guineu a Catalunya by Joan Barrull and Isabel Mate, from the University of Barcelona. My Spanish is probably as bad as anyone's, but it translates as 'The Catalonian Fox'. It's a detailed academic study of fox behaviour, and one of the reasons I mention it is that it's extensively illustrated, including numerous photos by yours truly with several in colour and one on the cover 😉
Camera note: both shots taken with the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens.
Mickeyjoe-Irl
2 Apr 2008Congratulations on the book. Well done :up:
cakkleberrylane
2 Apr 2008Congratulations!!
Words
2 Apr 2008Jane, it seems foxes are always getting themselves injured. We spent much of last year watching one or other fox limp or hop around. They seem to recover well, even from breaks. The majority of older foxes will have suffered a break at some point which has healed naturally. The females do cock their leg when scent marking.
Good that your fox seems to be recovering from mange. And your shed is great. I hope they leave some of the foundations in place though. 😀
Words
2 Apr 2008Mickeyjoe, thanks!
Vulpes vulpes
2 Apr 2008That is good news! Congrats on the book inclusion!
Words
2 Apr 2008Thanks Lois!
UrbanExtension
2 Apr 2008We have at least 3 limping foxes in the garden at the moment. I'm hoping they are all going to recover… I will keep an eye on them. Another has had mange… but the fur is growing back. They have dug another two holes under my shed today… more entrances to the den (as if they didn't have enough!). Great that you have seen your fox. Do the females cock there leg? I thought that was the males (or is that just dogs?). Confused 🙂 Jane
SittingFox
2 Apr 2008Good news the injured fox is recovering and huge congrats on getting pictures on the book! :hat: That's truly excellent news. No word on an English version…?
Words
2 Apr 2008Adele, yes we were pleased to see the injured fox still around. One more example of their amazing powers of recovery. I'd be surprised to see an English language version of the book appear in the near future, but I'll try and find out. The Foreword is by David MacDonald from the Oxford Wildlife Conservation Research Unit.
Words
2 Apr 2008Thanks Vulpes. I just wish I could read it :insane:
Vulpes vulpes
3 Apr 2008…You want to read it? But PICTURES paint a thousand WORDS!!! (oooh, a double pun) 😎
Flying Red Fox Blog
3 Apr 2008Thats good hes getting better, well done on the book. 🙂 I think Fox in Spanish is El Zorro, or is that derived from the film Zorro lol 😛
Words
3 Apr 2008Mark, yes Zorro is Spanish for 'fox', but my translation is basically what the title has to mean!