Red Fox stretching in between snoozing outside of my basement window.
I love watching wildlife, especially when they are right in my own wildlife garden. Some of the wildlife I see on a daily basis, while others only rarely grace my yard with their beautiful presence. For the past several months our friends the Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) have been missing from the neighborhood. Where they went no one knows, but now they’re back and my neighbors and my family are so happy to see them return. While the foxes were away, the rabbits and voles were multiplying, their predators not around to keep them in check. How I missed seeing their beautiful red fur, their keen eyes, and their focused hunting. Not to mention their daily taunting of my dog Yukon as they run right outside of the invisible fence boundary.
Even my cats are curious about the foxes, watching from the window as the fox takes a nice little nap in its bed.
The red foxes in our area are anything but shy, roaming freely from yard to yard, unencumbered by fences, walls or fearful neighbors. Around here, foxes are a welcome sight, their kits playing on yards or in drainage ditches, their road crossings respected by slowing vehicles. They are not feared or hunted, but allowed to make their homes among our own. We are honored to have them in our midst. They do not try to attack our pets, unlike the packs of coyotes who also frequent our yard. When my fox friends are around, the voles in my garden disappear, and I leave areas of brush and woodpiles for them to hunt and hide in. Wouldn’t you like to have a friend like this?
My Red Fox friend coming back from looking for lunch.
Resting in the warm sun, the red fox casually looks up at me as to say "Please go away, you're disturbing my nap."
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Oh, wow!
We’ve got them here, but they’re extremely shy. Every now and again you’ll see one cross the road or trot along the fence line, but I envy you the fearless foxes!
Ursula Vernon recently posted..Fuzzy-Wuzzy
Oooh I love foxes! We don’t see them here in the city, but I have a friend who has them at her place in the country. I love to watch them too. Great photos, Kathy!
Carole Brown recently posted..Wildlife Garden Thanksgiving
We’ve got red foxes down here, but I’ve only seen them in a picture (thus far). Nice to know that everyone can get along so well. Love that they feel comfortable enough at your place to lie that close by.
And I commend Yukon for staying within the radio fence boundary. I have my radio fence attached to a 4 foot “real” fence as double security since I don’t trust the setters to stop at anything “huntable”.
Loret T. Setters recently posted..Pond Prank
Oh how pretty they are, KathyG. Good work getting those photos of them. I am glad your neighbors are not bothered by them. Isn’t it nice when we can all get along?
Kathy @nativegardener recently posted..Her First Autumn Leaf
Aren’t they wonderful? So glad you have a whole community that lets them be!
Here in SW Florida we have gray foxes, and they too have managed to create a home
in the middle of suburban areas. However, not everyone is kind. Just say YES to brush piles!
WE also have coyotes who have moved into Florida on their own, and yes, they will take the
occasional pet, usually when people behave ina very stupid way! But, they also fill a void left
by the red wolf, which is gone from Florida, but still holds on a little in SE Georgia.
Susan Scott recently posted..Help Protect Black Bears in Florida!
We had a young fox make his home in our forever green area behind our house a couple of years ago. We named him Axl and he is gorgeous. He gets close to other houses because they don’t have a fence although our fence could be scaled easily like the deer do…he does keep rabbits in check but I need to coax him in the yard to have lunch on the voles…
Donna@Gardens Eye View recently posted..Chance vs Choice
I love foxes too. It’s really cool that you have them so near. Good pix too. HM
We had a wonderful red fox family in our neighborhood this past year 2012. There were three or four. We saw two adults and a kit (possibly 2 kits). We put out an infrared camera and watched them come and go at night. (Have a great picture of one with a big rat in his mouth!) The kit used to play and take napes on our deck in the sun during the day and we watched him grow up over the summer. All of a sudden the adults disappeared and there was only the kit (all grown up), but not here as much and then he disappeared also. Miss them and wonder what could have happened to them.