Wild things have habits and the fox has made our backyard a regular stop in its search for nourishment. After the last snow we could see the deer hoof prints in a straight line and then the fox foot prints in large circles. Searching circles.
I took this set of photos in the last hour. It had obviously found the dead bird that was outside a bedroom window for days, frozen because I could see it in its mouth. I then checked to see if the bird was gone and it was.
I wonder if it got the mouse I threw out of the trap several days ago? That mouse got unlucky because it was caught in a trap that had no bait. I baited traps yesterday with peanut butter because I thought I heard a mouse in the kitchen the night before. Two traps went into the garage and one into the mud room. This morning I had two mice caught in the garage. Those went out into the snow. I wonder if the fox found them.
It's a lovely creature. I'm glad it feels so at home here to come up on my deck.
What a gorgeous baby! love that it was so close to the house to get such perfect pictures.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what it thought it could find on the deck. But yes a surprise to see it so close. It saw me, too.
DeleteWonderful pictures! And how exciting to see a fox up so close. Thanks for reminding me to check the mouse traps and re-bait them. We caught a couple in the garage last week. It is seems to be a never ending chore when you live out in the country.
ReplyDeleteI left my mouse traps unabated for so long that I was surprised to see that one mouse caught. I knew then I had to bait them because if there's one there's more. More food for the fox. LOL
DeleteA very healthy looking fox! It has made me very happy to see a healthy fox population in our part of the state over the past couple of years. My parents have one that frequents their yard, it jumps up & picks plums off their plum trees! Lucky you, getting to observe this beautiful guy (or gal)!
ReplyDeleteIt is a beauty isn't it? Some of my friends in this area have said the coyotes have moved in and replaced the fox population. Not the case in my neck of the woods.
DeleteIt must be extremely hard to be a creature that has to hunt its food all winter. I feel for them. We don't see foxes often around here - yours is a beauty. I have a funny story about mouse traps. My mother went to the local Wal-Mart and saw a mouse close to the cash register. She commented that they needed to put out traps. The lady working there said traps were not allowed - they had to be caught "humanely", and relocated. So, they just don't do it. She went on to say that that particular mouse frequented her register quite often!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'll be going there much anymore! I wonder if a customer screamed and jumped on the conveyor belt if they would decide to set out traps! ;)
Too funny!
DeleteBeautiful fox! We have some scrawny ones here in Florida- also coyotes-
ReplyDeletemy husband uses sunflower seeds to catch the mice in his shop. Then he often takes them to the nieghbor who has an owl they rehabilitated as a baby and that still visits them each evening.
Thanks for stopping by Jane. Funny you should mention sunflowers. I just filled the feeders and decided to put some sunflower seeds on the mouse trap near the cans I use to hold the sunflower seeds.
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