Friday, December 04, 2009

Fox Encounter

I am quite frequently asked why I photograph birds. The main reason is accessibility which fits in with my limited camera time. The other reason is that mammals are not that easy in the UK unless you have a lot of free time or go to one of the well known sites to photograph them.

I was recently out and about trying to find some more fieldfare to photograph. Whilst taking a few photos of a bird drinking at a puddle some movement to the right caught the corner of my eye and a fox came trotting out in to view. Now admittedly it was the not the best conditioned animal I have seen and was suffering a bit from the mange but any daylight encounter with a fox is always a great experience. You have to feel sorry for them when they are suffering with mange which must be the itch you can never satisfy no matter how much you scratch it. The slightly ragged fox came trotting across close and closer and stopped beneath a rowan tree and started feeding on rowan berries that the fieldfare and redwing had dropped.
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The fox was quite nervous as there were quite a few people close by and the occasional traffic passing which made it frequently look up and take stock of its surroundings.
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Keeping an eye on me
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In this photo the fox looks a little like its snarling at me but it was actually busy munching on the rowan berries.
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The fox stayed for about 10 minutes in total before trotting off back through the bushes from where it originally came.
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A great personal moment spent with a wonderful wild animal.
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9 comments:

Quantum Tiger said...

Great fox encounter and lovely photos! I'm pretty much in the same boat. UK Mammals are pretty elusive without local knowledge - so it's always a bonus to get some shots.

Bob Bushell said...

Hi Rich, those are beautiful images. Really true photography.

Shelly Cox said...

Beautiful pictures, even if he is a little bit worse for wear. His eyes are stunning.

holdingmoments said...

He does look a sorry state doesn't he; but beautiful captures Richard.
A great moment.

Johnny Nutcase said...

Aw, I feel sorry for the guy that he had mange, but you got some fantastic photos of him! All the foxes I see usually are so skittish and run off right away. These are great up close and personal shots!

FAB said...

As you rightly say Rich 'a difficult mammal to get close to', but this opportunity was very well taken. FAB

Cindy said...

Wow!! Beautiful!!

Rich Steel said...

Thanks for your comments. I usually seem to have at least one fox encounter a year which is always a pleasure.

Cheers

Rich

Dick Berry said...

Richard,
Came across your site via another and have to say that your work is exceptional. Subject matter is extremely diverse and the clarity of your images is outstanding. Keep shooting and I will definitely be back for more.

Dick

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