Sunday, March 27, 2011

Our Neighborhood Fox Came for a Visit

This morning the coolest thing happened. We looked out our bay window in back and saw a fox out cruising for breakfast. As we watched, he zigzagged across the hay field from our shed (underneath which rabbits live) and then suddenly launched himself up and down headfirst into the snow. We were too far away to see if he caught whatever it was he had spotted, but he just kept on exploring the field. Then he worked the tree line at the bottom of the birm this side of our larger pond and disappeared into our neighbors' property.

I've seen foxes do that on TV of course but never before in person. We used to see a fox patrol the back of the shed at twilight a couple years ago but hadn't seen one since. Rabbits, watch out!

I still have to feed "our" stray cat, Scaredy Cat, on the patio and I've noticed some animal cleans out what she leaves in the bowl every evening. I thought at first she must be coming back late for an evening snack, but now I wonder if it's the fox. When I go out to get the dish, I turn on the outside lights and take a flashlight because I certainly don't want to run into a skunk or offend a possum.

Every time I dream of moving to the city, it seems, something like this happens and then I realize how much of country life I would miss. I would still like to be closer to basketball games, concerts, theaters, and big libraries though.

3 comments:

  1. We get to see bobcats do that from time to time. I guess you can get night cameras too that you can set up that are triggered by motion. They cost a lot, but it would be kind of neat to see what goes on in our yards at night!

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  2. Barbara...we live in a condo complex (end unit with a bank of trees), but it is not a wooded area. In January I was shocked to see an old fox, and his younger (possibly) girlfriend playing in the snow in our yard. It was rather shocking. A few weeks ago I saw the girlfriend alone this time. I guess they came from the woods across the street somewhere looking for food.

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  3. Jill and Diane, Isn't it cool to see wildlife right from your windows? I really love it, and in the summer I enjoy hearing owls in the middle of the night or woodpeckers in the woods up back during the day. And waking up to bird songs is wonderful. Don't care for the skunks that pass through in the night, though! :-(

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