Wildlife in the garden brings mixed feelings. Of course seeing beautiful animals
and knowing they actually like coming to your residence is often exciting, BUT
can also be annoying when they devour plants and perhaps put domestic pets
in danger. . . . . . . .and downright scary when you suddenly have that feeling
something is watching you from the bushes when you're on your knees weeding!
can also be annoying when they devour plants and perhaps put domestic pets
in danger. . . . . . . .and downright scary when you suddenly have that feeling
something is watching you from the bushes when you're on your knees weeding!
For several years we've had grey foxes come through the garden, more recently
just passing through on the way from the wooded area across from the cottage
to wherever they go in the neighborhood. However, for three years in a row they came
to give birth and raise families! There were always five kits in each litter, born twice
under my neighbor's shed which backs up to my potting shed, and once even
under our gazebo which was such a surprise being a very shallow space.
How the mother got under and produced five babies who crawled out several times
a day (these are just two of them) to eat and play, will always remain a mystery to us.
Fox kits on my deck - May 2011
Photo edited via PicMonkey - colored with watercolor pencils.
How the mother got under and produced five babies who crawled out several times
a day (these are just two of them) to eat and play, will always remain a mystery to us.
Photo edited via PicMonkey - colored with watercolor pencils.
Fox kits reach full size by six months so move on from a garden within a couple
of months once the parents have taught them how to find their own food.
During that time in the garden the parents would visit, nurse, feed, and even
have a noon playtime around my potting shed which was awesome to watch.
have a noon playtime around my potting shed which was awesome to watch.
Although we've enjoyed watching the little foxes we are always cautious when
they're in the garden. Foxes can carry rabies here in North Carolina and people
have been bitten in their back yards. . . . . . . needless to say we always keep our
distance.
This is an excellent article if you're interested learning more about the fox.
Be sure to visit Michael's weekly Scribble Picnic HERE today - I'm looking forward
to seeing what our creative participants come up with for his FOX theme today.
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That's an amazing story. Lovely pictures.
ReplyDeleteYou fox piece is beautiful, thanks for the info on the foxes.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos and 'scribbles' of the foxes, Mary. They are pretty creatures but I too would be wary of their presence in the yard. Once in a long while one will pass by here but there are many open fields so no good hiding places for them. Have a beautiful day. xx Pam
ReplyDeleteBeautiful rendition. I love the way you can do that to a photo. So unique. You can almost feel the texture.
ReplyDeleteYour backyard visitors look so sweet. I know what you mean about feeling like you're being watched. A few years back I was doing some landscaping for over an hour not 5 feet from a brand new fawn amongst the rocks I was using. How still she was while she watched me get closer and closer without me seeing her there.
ReplyDeleteLovely altered photo piece for the theme, Mary! Foxes are so beautiful and what a treat it would have been to see the fox kits grow. :)
ReplyDeleteYour illustration made the little foxes look much more sweet and fuzzy as opposed to your photos! Amazing how wild animals are becoming so comfortable around humans. I've always worried about my dogs, the lake has it share of coyotes, raccoon,opossum, groundhogs, mink, and muskrats. I have to be vigilant and I don't let them out after dark. And here in the city we have out fair share of opossum and raccoons, they have spent their fair share of time living under our shed as well. Yes, you find yourself looking over your shoulder.
ReplyDeleteJane x
Of course you know from my blog how much I love foxes, so this post was a special treat for me, thank you!!!
ReplyDeletethe recolored versions looks like cub bears instead of foxes, at least to me. good take on the theme.
ReplyDeletehave a lovely day.
Great additions to our picnic, Mary, and wow, reading "and downright scary when you suddenly have that feeling something is watching you from the bushes when you're on your knees weeding!" had me laughing and thinking I was in some kind of Ms. Marples episode! too funny. But, yes, they can have rabies so one should be careful. Here, it is the squirrels and prairie dogs in particular.
ReplyDeleteHow amazing to have had some foxes born right there. I'm so glad you caught this.
Thank you for your lovely additions, as always! I look forward to coming here seeing what you will add.
Mary,
ReplyDeleteWhat delightful pictures and stories. We have mostly deer, squirrels, chipmunks, ground hogs and skunks. But we do have occasional foxes. Our little chippies were digging under our asphalt driveway so hubby had to trap them one at a time and drive them far away. He caught 9 of them. Then filled in the hold with foam, and cement. Hopefully they don't do that again. They are the cutest little animals.
Nice pictures,
Blessings
Janis
that is so neat you could see them that close, but yeah def better to keep a distance from them even if they dont have rabies. the altered photos remind me of watercolours, very neat :)
ReplyDeleteYour fox art is wonderful, as are your photographs. I would love watching them grow up and play.
ReplyDeleteWe have red fox here and I rarely glimpse them. But my neighbors have them on their property and get to watch them play regularly.
Those eyes–your foxes are so very alert! Seems I've seen/heard of foxes in towns (usually around the edges) more than I've seen them in the country. I suppose they can just hide better when they're in the country.
ReplyDelete