Things are looking promising for the fox family to den under our barn this year.
I’d been working in the yard this afternoon and sat down to rest. Orange movement in the shrubby corner of the back corner of our 2-acre yard caught my attention. About the same time my presence caught its attention. It went back the way it came. At first it looked like a cat we have in the neighborhood.
It wasn’t long before it headed back toward the barn under more shrubby cover.
The pair raised 4 kits in their den under our barn last summer. With them being so aware and on alert at all times, I had to take all my pictures through the picture window in my computer room. They would even see me in the house.
Three were nursing here and the other one … maybe it was already full.
I couldn’t fool them, even when in the house. She came to the water garden for a drink and let me know she knew I was watching her.
Buffy knew they were under there,
and wanted me to help get them out of her territory.
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I took pictures of the family from May 9-24 last year. According to my Mammals of Illinois book, foxes breed late January and in February. Gestation period is 51 days, and the young are born in late March or in April. Since we live in southern Illinois, I figure they breed toward the end of March.
I sat down at the computer yesterday afternoon, looked out the window and there was a fox coming up from the back corner of our yard! I managed, in all my excitement, to get 3 pictures. It’s cautious actions before going under the barn let me know it sensed me.
