I saw the red fox in the woods behind the house again. What a beautiful creature, and such a wild hunger in its golden eyes! This time, it moseyed around the edge of the yard, shook the rain off its fur, like a dog, and ambled back to the rocky area among the trees where it probably has its den.
It comforts me to know I've got such a lovely and uncommon neighbor as a red fox--and probably a whole family of them, since both parents care for the kits, which are often born in late March. Many years ago, someone piled a long row of large stones at the edge of my property line, in a place that's now gone to forest. My guess is that they were clearing the rocks from a field or meadow back when this was farmland. They stacked the rocks all in a long row along the edge of the field, and there they remain to this day, providing crevices and burrows for foxes and other creatures.
I read online that foxes love to eat dog feces, and it's actually a nutritious meal for them! I've only ever seen the fox in those peripheral areas of the yard where this confounded, ridiculous dog goes to do its business. And as often as I've gone to clean up its mess, I've never found anything to pick up. And so, I suppose I have one reason (and one only) to be grateful for this dog that's been dropped on me: it's drawing foxes to my yard. Beautiful, sly, sleek, golden-eyed foxes.... Here are a few more photos of the Middle Branch area of Hickory Creek Wilderness.
No comments:
Post a Comment