Saturday, April 14, 2007

Ever Wary

A mother red fox warily watches me while her kit feeds on the carcass of a cottontail.

We have often caught fleeting glimpses of foxes in the residential area.  Usually it was just a flash of orange out of the corner of our eye.  Last night Steve was delighted to come across an entire family feeding near some pipes at a construction site.  He was, as it often happens, without a camera so he called me and told me to be waiting when he got home. 

The light was already fading but it was easy to spot the mother fox against the snow.  3 kits, their fur still dark, played near by.  The mother instinctively moved off to a safe distance but kept an anxious eye on us as the youngsters continued to frolic, unconcerned by our presence or the clicking of my camera.

Sadly, but not surprisingly, the pictures were grainy due to the low light and and subsequent slow shutter speed.  I was also forced to shoot through the holes of a chain link fence.  Determined not to waste such a precious encounter despite the limitations, I lightened the picture up a bit and softened the edges to give it a painted effect.  Hopefully I'll be able to catch the foxes out playing in the morning or afternoon when the sun is out and the lighting offers a better opportunity for decent shots.

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7 comments:

Anonymous said...

i love it!
gina

Anonymous said...

Love your animal photos...most that I see are INdoor animals!

Nancy

Anonymous said...

Awesome shot ....:)
Betty

Anonymous said...

Great shot, Bill

Anonymous said...

I took some pics of foxes in Colorado and don't even have them developed yet.  I don't blame you for not wanting to waste the opportunity.  They are such lovely animals.

Miss you,

Susan

Anonymous said...

I don't think your photo was anything but precious as it is the act of the mother and kits that makes the image.    What a beautiful sight!    mark
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Anonymous said...

What a great opportunity!  They are so hard to get even close enough to take a picture of.  I hope you can get more shots!  I live out in the country but finding a fox to photograph is like trying find a needle in a haystack!  I was lucky to find some deer!
Be back soon
Lynda

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