April 9, 2013

A Foxy Visit!

The raccoons and deer finished off the last of the deer blocks in our woodsy backyard, and we don’t intend to put out any more now that the winter season is over. So Mister Jim took down the little field camera.

On a lark, I decided to put out a few peanuts (in shells) along the front flowerbed wall to see if I could attract a chipmunk or two right outside my office window. The peanuts got ignored for several days. And finally, they disappeared! I put out a few more. Gone. Obviously, something was coming up from the woodlands to get a snack!

Then I put out a handful on the front porch, near our rabbit greeter. Gone again! Ah, now we figured we had some rambunctious raccoons devouring the morsels. So Mr. Jim set up the field camera to end the mystery.

Low and behold, we discovered that our nocturnal visitor has been a fox! (That’s a pile of peanuts behind its tale.)




The captured images show that the fox frequently looks over in our neighbor’s direction, showing a bit of concern that the coast was clear.



After a peanut pile had been consumed, a little sniffing is in order. What’s interesting in this shot is that a pair came by for a visit the other night! Two additional legs are seen in the background underneath the tail in this photo. We know that the pair raises a brood each year in a small cave several hundred feet down the hillside.



Peanut shell debris can be found in the front yard, flowerbeds, and all the way down the side yard.



It even got brave enough to visit when the front porch light was still on and we were watching television!



It’s always a treat to spot them in the woods as we gaze out the back windows. We hope that they continue to live in the nearby common area of the subdivision and thrive. Our cottage’s welcome mat is always out for these beautiful animals.

14 comments:

  1. wow, that is so cool! look in good condition! peanuts must be good for them. :)

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  2. What a treat to see what we would miss without 'night vision'! And to think the foxes feel so at home at your house. It was fun seeing them.
    ~Adrienne~

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  3. What great shots! Aren't they awesome animals! So glad you took the photos. :-)

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  4. That's pretty cool. We had a few fox here when we moved in but I think the farmer behind us killed them because they were eating his chickens. But I like to think that they just relocated. LOL!

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  5. Those are great photos! It's fun to see these creatures but be careful of them as they carry ticks etc. Especially if you have any pets. It would be fun to have a night camera here now that the deer seem to be living so close by lately.

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  6. How cool is that, love it. I love a little nature visit now and then, as long as they leave my bulbs alone.

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  7. They really are beautiful animals. You probably won't be feeding any more though, will you? We can't leave any food out here in Florida with all the creatures that roam at night. We hear coyotes and owls when we sit in our lanai in the evenings. Makes you glad to be inside! lol Sweet hugs!

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  8. That is just too cool!! Fat little bugger.

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  9. Many of our foxes carry rabies. I hope that's not the case there. He certainly is a handsome fellow.

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  10. Great photo capture of the fox...well done!

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  11. Fun Shot!! We have a camera outside as well...getting Nothing!
    hughugs

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  12. oh how fun to get to spy on your visitors. They are brave to go right up on your porch like that.

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  13. Awww, a hungry fox! So cute! I love what you did with the peanuts, Donna. Very clever. Somebody's always there to take the bait.

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  14. A lot of excitment there and enjoyed the photos of the Fox. We had many come up from the river and wonder around our swimming pool. LenZie

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