Wander back from town

After a Costa coffee I set off in sharp, frosty conditions with bright sky, looking forward to some bird photography. However, very little on show and what I did see was too distant for worthwhile shots. Great and blue tits abounded along with robins, dunnocks and a few long tailed tits. Several flyover jays and plenty of wood pigeons were about the sum total for the whole 4 mile wander.

Posing blue tit

However, the walk was saved along the path from Green Street to Millfiled Lane. Across the field I noted 1, then 2 foxes playing near the field edge, before they bounded off into the long grass. A couple of long distant fox photos are always pleasing.

Distant pair of foxes

As I approached a gap in the hedge, I noted a 3rd fox rooting around in the brambles close to a ditch.

Unaware of my presence

Heard the camera from 40 yards away

I used the bend in the footpath to slowly approach the gap in the hedge, hidden from the foxes view. Of course, she could hear me and was not present when I crept around the corner. However, foxes are by nature, inquisitive creatures and I knew she would be somewhere close watching me. I slowly found a space in the undergrowth and only had to wait a few minutes.

As expected, she came out to see what was going on.

 Rather disappointingly, there were a few bramble shoots across the face and obscuring the eyes, so I needed to move. She had her gaze firmly on me and wasn't going to move anymore into the open. Chatting quietly to her, I moved a yard or so to the left and managed some pleasing shots in good light.

Better shot

Quick change of camera settings to highlight the fur colour.

After about 30 seconds she was gone into the undergrowth and I carried on, spotting common gull, yellowhammer, jays, skylarks and a solitary meadow pipit. A quiet walk with a definite highlight. Whilst I appreciate that these mammals can be destructive to chicken farmers etc I fail 100% to comprehend the desire to rip them to pieces with hunting dogs. So much more pleasant to see then looking this healthy in a rural setting and not the mangy ones that can be spotted emptying fish and chip wrappers from bins in the town. Clearly, by the state of the coat and the brightness of the eyes, this is a very healthy young vixen and it was a privilege to watch her in her habitat, not mine.