I have, tonight, had a most amazing evening with my foxes! It was a lovely evening, so I set my camera up in the hedge at the feeding station, hoping to get some good shots. I returned upstairs to get on with some work. I kept looking out of my office window, to check if Fern was coming. I spotted her in the hedge on the other side of the field… somewhere where she doesn’t usually sit. Suddenly, I could see movement….yes…. she had cubs with her!!! I was so excited. Grabbing the binoculars, I focused on her. Sure enough, there she was sitting with two very small cubs next to her! I have so hoped for this moment from when I first thought she was feeding…. the day when she would first bring her cubs for us to see. They look very young… possibly about 8 weeks old and I would not imagine they have been out a lot.
I am then in a dilemma… where is my camera????…. in the hedge! I can’t take my eyes off this family, as Fern brings them across the field and down into the hedge at the bottom, near my hide. She then sat with them in the long grass… torture as it would have been an amazing shot! I remember I still have my old camera… the 40D and fumble around trying to find that and set it up with the 500mm lens, but they have gone. I know they will be back though… this is early days of what I hope will provide me with some quite amazing photographic opportunities!
I was thought that was it for the evening, but then Flynn appeared…. and later, Fern without the cubs. They then spent some 20 mins sitting in the field and I was able to shoot away out of the upstairs window with my 40D. Unfortunately, the hedge is quite long and some shots had long pieces of hedge right in my viewfinder. I know what my first job is tomorrow!
I took so many shots that I have put them all in an album. Had to have ISO set at 500 and the 40D does not cope quite as well as the 7D so some are a little grainy, but I am thrilled. Tomorrow the 40D will be in the hedge and my 7D will be with me upstairs in front of a newly cut hedge… waiting for those babies to make their second appearance.
I hope you enjoy these special photographs as much as me!
To view the album, follow this link:
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