Dear Readers, apologies for this truly terrible photo, but at least it proves that I was visited by a very fine fox this morning – he (for I’m pretty sure it was a he) had a magnificent bushy tail, not a trace of mange, and a fearless expression. I’ve been hearing foxes calling to one another for the past few nights, but this one had clearly had a night on the tiles, and was deciding whether to dig up the few bulbs that the squirrels have left (sigh) before heading off.
Another David Attenborough-quality wildlife photo.
Research shows that foxes have a very clear 3D map of their territories, and are often found sleeping on shed roofs or even running along scaffolding, so a fence alone will not necessarily deter those that are young and fit. On the other hand, one of the commonest injuries that I’ve seen in urban foxes appear to be sprains of one or more limbs, so I wonder how many are caused by having to climb or jump from an unexpected height? If animals can’t make their way safely between gardens they will often end up on the road, where the hazard from cars is the main danger – the average age of an urban fox is only eighteen months, and the casualty rate is largely due to road accidents.
How I love to see the foxes – it’s always such an unexpected pleasure to see such a large animal in an ordinary suburban garden. I hope that this one comes back soon so that I can get you all a better photo. In the meantime, here’s a fox who visited regularly a few years ago. What a handsome boy he was!
I would be thrilled to find a fox visiting my garden! I am interested in the changes you note of the fencing between houses. I wonder what lies behind this.
Increasing worries about security and privacy, I suspect…plus fashion!
We have a minimum height of 5′ fencing around our garden for the simple reason that we have a greyhound, and I suspect that dog ownership is one reason behind the change. I’ve made sure that wildlife can get in, though: in one corner (behind a brash and small branch pile, which is itself behind a bush) there is a gap big enough for a fox, and behind our green wall is a three foot chain link fence with the bottom edge turned up in places. A way can be found, if only people will think about it, and as shamelessly self-proclaimed environment activist for the local Neighbourhood Plan, I’ve managed to get ‘soft landscaping or fencing with gaps around new developments’ written into it.
Well done, Jay! It’s quite possible to do what you need in your garden while still preserving the wildlife value…
We caught a fox on our wildlife camera a few weeks ago now. (It was there to spot little, or not so little, rodents). It must have picked up the scent of our dog and promptly squatted to leave their scent and walked off camera! We’re about half a mile out of the town, with lots of juicy pheasants lurking in bushes and often roosting in the trees, so plenty of potential meals available!
I’m impressed with any photo of a fox, no matter how blurred, as I’ve never been able to capture one on camera. On the few occasions when I’ve seen foxes in the last few months, they have appeared out of nowhere in the local woods, and disappeared just as auddenly in an auburn flash.