Creatures big and small passed in front of my lenses over my past photo year. No matter their size, all were special to see from the pika and mink to the bison, bighorn and pronghorn. Here’s a look back at my favorite mammal captures from my past photo year.
Top Shots 2023 – Foxes
Continuing to recap my favorite captures from my past photo year, I am happy to be able to do a slideshow dedicated to these sly creatures – foxes. I was fortunate enough to have a lot of cool encounters with them and given that it is #FoxFriday, it seems fitting to give them their own show.
Red fox scratches an itch
When I watch foxes, sometimes I forget that being members of the canine family, they can act just like our dogs. We have all seen our four-legged family members scratch their ears, sometimes nibble at their own feet. That is exactly what this gorgeous fox was doing on this April morning. It was lounging on its favorite log, enjoying the warmth of the rising sun when the itch got too much for it to stand and it had to do something about it. It was amusing and cute as heck as it did.
Red fox looks toward the morning sun
It has been a while since I have done #FoxFriday so here you go. ? It has, unfortunately, been quite a while since I have had a good encounter with these sly creatures so this image harkens back to mid-April. It was an absolutely fantastic spring morning watching this fox and its mate as they lounged around, did some prowling and gave me a ton of nice captures. The pair is featured multiple times in my Foxes 2024 calendar and rightly so!
Fox emerges from the trees with the sunrise
And, if you look close, you can see a second, well-concealed fox. Taken back in April and a fine image to share for this #FoxFriday.
I arrived early to find the foxes out and about playing around. As they were out in the open, I couldn’t approach for fear of scaring them off. After some time, they decided on their own to retreat to their usual hiding place. I worked my way to my usual hiding spot nearby and after a bit, one emerged from their hiding place.
It seemed to sense I was there but was not threatened, giving me this cool look before it decided to venture off for some hunting. It’s friend stayed hidden in the trees, never coming out again that morning. Have a great weekend!
Focused red fox ambles down the road
I don’t normally like man-made objects in my wildlife pics but this one I thought was kind of cool. I had passed this fox as it worked its way up Trail Ridge Road and parked well-ahead of it, hoping it would continue in my direction. Indeed it did, and kneeling down low allowed me to get a cool, head on shot. I love the focus on its face and the position of its feet clearly covey its forward motion right at me.
Snuggling up with mama for Fox Friday
A throwback to this past April when I spent some time with this beautiful vixen and her kits. While she was keen on just relaxing, the little ones were, of course, quite rambunctious. I managed to catch this little one at one of the few times it wasn’t a total flurry of motion and taking a break with mama. Very cute for sure!
Curious red fox on the rocks
I’ve shared a couple of pics from my encounter with this gorgeous fox near the top of Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park and, clearly have more! This was definitely one of those charmed wildlife encounters that when it is over, I am crazy excited and happy about.
The fox had gone up the road and disappeared around some large rocks. Rather than follow, I guessed it might emerge on the other side and, sure enough, it did. Initially it was focused on the tundra below, no doubt hoping for a pika or marmot meal for breakfast. Not seeing any, it looked around and seemed to be a bit curious about the human that had scaled the boulders in front of it and was taking its picture.
Have a fantastic #FoxFriday, everyone!
Red fox looks into the early morning sun
A pretty shot of the same high altitude fox I shared a pic of a couple of days ago, this time offering a closeup view.
As I mentioned, this fox surprised me with an appearance at 12, 110 feet, not a critter you would normally expect to find in the rarified air of that altitude. It seemed to be on a mission, working its way to the highest point of the pass so I raced ahead and waited for it to come toward me and indeed it did. Here, it paused briefly looking forward the sun that was just clearing the rocks to the east making for a very nice portrait.
Have a fantastic #FoxFriday!
Red fox on the prowl at high altitude
On my list of creatures I would expect to see at 12,110 feet, this is not one of them but it sure made for a fun encounter on Saturday!
As I neared the top of Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, I rounded a corner and found I was sharing the lane with a fox heading toward the top as well. I went around it, found a parking spot, and waited as it got closer, as it continued making its way to a well-known rock formation.
I spent a good bit of time photographing the sly one, getting some great captures including a bunch of closeups. However, it is this wider angle that I almost like the best as it shows the environment, one which you wouldn’t normally find a fox. While the fox is well above timberline, you can see the valley more than 2,000 feet below behind it and some of the still-lingering snow cover on the north faces of the slopes.
You just never know what you are going to find when you #GetOutside!