Wildlife, landscape and weather photography
From last weekend. I staked out this spot for four hours hoping to see some rumored kits. No such luck. The only thing I got were these shots right after sunrise as a thick fog settled in. Naturally, as soon as the fog cleared, the fox moved out and disappeared. Still made for some neat shots in a way.
An absolutely lucky visit with this gorgeous creature last weekend.
I was on my morning photo drive and passing a field when I saw a rather odd shape sitting on top of a grass-covered mound of dirt. My first instinct was to dismiss it as a prairie dog but decided to stop and zoom in on it with my lens.
Much to my surprise, among the grasses, this fox was laying down enjoying the mild morning. Of course my stopping got its attention and it quickly stood up.
I was only able to snap a few pics before it headed off to a more private location to sleep but as rare as it is to actually see one, I was ecstatic with the brief opportunity.
Taken in Weld County, Colorado.
While they aren’t seen often, red foxes are quite common across the entire Northern Hemisphere from near the equator to the Arctic Circle. As shown here, they are extremely adaptable and able to coexist in areas with large human populations.
As common as foxes are, they are not particularly common to photograph so I am definitely keeping my eyes out. If anyone has a line on any along the Colorado Front Range, particularly in the north Denver metro area, please do drop me a note.
Finally I have some new fox pictures for Fox Friday!
This was certainly a surprise encounter. Driving along a country road northeast of Denver, Colorado, this red fox stood out against the earth tones of the cut crop and recent snow.
It was clearly looking for a meal although not so keen on having been spotted. While it was a good ways off, I was able to get some decent captures and seeing a fox is always exciting.
Have a fantastic weekend, everyone!
From a couple of months ago… My stakeout at this Fox den failed to yield the much hoped for kits. However, mom did swing by for a bit, checking on one of the places she called home. I snapped a few pictures of her as she hung out but this was my favorite, taken as she was leaving. She paused just briefly near the top of a hill, looked back at me as if to say, “Get that last picture now,” and disappeared over the rise.
Like any good sibling, this little one took great joy in pouncing on and tackling its littermate. The light was low on this evening making catching any sort of fast moving action like this tough. Nevertheless, it was fun to see and even better to have gotten a few images. I haven’t seen these little ones since that day unfortunately as their mom undoubtedly moved the den again. Hopefully I get another chance but it will have to come soon as they won’t all be hanging out together for long.
Going back to a couple of weeks ago when I spent an evening with this Red Fox family. The little kit had a hard time keeping up with its bigger siblings and was quick to cling to mom when she came back for a meal. I haven’t been able to see them since as she moved the den but am hoping I get another chance in the coming weeks.
Technically this was taken on Monday but… Two sibling kits battle it out while two others keep watch. All eight of them at this den are small but that little black one is WAY smaller than its siblings – probably 2/3 the size. It tried its best to hang with its bigger brothers and sisters but had a pretty hard time. I couldn’t help but cheer on the runt and am hoping like heck it does okay!
Oh my! Just look at those little faces! Already having two dogs, we have no interest in any other pets but my wife said that we could definitely take one of these home. Haha! Of course we can’t and wouldn’t but they are so irresistible and adorable.
I revisited this den earlier this week after a couple of previous attempts where I came up empty handed. This time I had much better luck as I was greeted by these two and six of their siblings. All eight were bounding around and playing in a display that had me grinning ear to ear.
At one point, these two ventured apart from the crowd, investigating this new world around them. It was then that I snapped this picture of them.
A tip from a friend led me to a spot where there was a fox den with a lot of new kits. I spent seven hours (literally) waiting for an appearance, staring at a hole in the ground. Finally, mom made a very brief appearance, coming out of nowhere. She checked the den, did a bit of digging, then headed off into the distance again.
Unfortunately, I never did see the little ones which leads me to believe she moved them to another den the night before. Darn! Nevertheless, I at least got to see her and she was indeed quite beautiful.
