Never got a camera to hand when you need it!

[Nod]

At a little after 06:30 this morning, the cat came rushing upstairs and leapt onto a bedroom windowsill, thrashing her tail. Being almost as nosy as her, I went to see what had her so agitated. There, trotting up the road bold as brass and in no desperate hurry, was a fox!

Even my D700 and 70-200 f/2.8 would have had problems getting a decent shot and the extra length of the HS30's zoom wouldn't have helped due to the lack of light, so I'll have to rely on the storage attached to my Mk I eyeballs.

We're right on the edge of town so it's no great surprise that we have foxes around and we've heard them often enough during mating season (as well as finding coiled evidence!) - we've even seen them a couple of hundred metres away but this morning was the first time we've seen one in our road.

 

[Bristolian]

At our last house it wasn't unusual to find one of the local foxes curled up asleep with the dog (Old English cross Retriever) on the back lawn late at night. I could never bring myself to photograph it though ... just seemed like an intrusion somehow :shrug:

 

[SimonH]

I see at least one fox every night I visit a friend of mine near Leeds. It crosses the road, fifty feet in front of me as I'm on my way home, somewhere between midnight and 2am. It's become so routinely predictable that I've even wondered whether there are thousands of look-alike foxes living on that stretch of road, or it's one fox just waiting for me every time!

I always have my camera with me, but I don't have the kit to get a decent shot.

The same friend occasionally puts a "used" chicken carcass in her back garden for her cats to pick. She watched from the kitchen window, once, as a fox sidled up and stood for a few minutes, before gently lifting the chicken carcass and carrying it off - much to the bemusement of her two cats, who were picking away at the carcass at the time.

I'd be up for sitting up overnight to try and capture this, but apparently it can be 2 or 3 days before the carcass finally disappears. I don't know if I've the stamina!

 

[ernesto]

When I lived in a town the foxes were so carefree around people you could almost stroke them.
I have lived in a rural area for last 14 years and never seen one (well not alive that hadn't been shot by the locals!). They are extremely weary of humans.

 

[Moreorless]

Had a similar kind of situation on monday with something a little larger.

Was taking sunrise pics in the fields behind my house when I noticed a dog sized black animal lying down in the field on the opposite side of the small valley which then got up and started playing around in a very catlike fashion. It was too far to get a clear view with the naked eye and I only had my 16-35mm lens with me which didnt help at all.

 

[Nod]

Very dark Maine Coon cat? Yv and her Geza have a collection and the buggers are BIG!

In the field opposite my Parents' old house near Fastbuck Abbey, we would often see deer and foxes as well as a couple of herons from the heronry in the woods not too far away. Somewhere, I have a lovely shot of a magpie sitting on a sheep's head, barking at a fox (who looks rather bemused!). If/when it raises its ugly head, I'll resize and post it.

 

[Nod]

Then Reynard grew a pair!

Or at least appeared to, until the sheep stamped its foot and Reynard did the old Foxtrot Oscar!

 

[Georges]

Yeah I fully understand what you mean and I remembered you this morning. I was in the kitchen this morning preparing for work when I a fox. I have never ever seen fox in my area as it is really well populated and he was chasing a dog. YES a dog then he gave up and stood in front of my kitchen window. Guess where was my camera? Upstairs under the bed, and by the time I got down he is gone. He was dark in colour almost black. Next time camera staying nearby.

 

[Summerstar]

Meh. I live in south-west London. Foxes use the path down the side of our house like the M25, wander the streets almost unconcerned about humans and if I sit on my front steps for half an hour I can feed one by hand - they like cat food!

Funny how they're more common in towns than in the countryside - must be all those men on horseback - the ones with the red coats...

 

[Nod]

Urban foxes are often much braver than country ones - urban ones don't really need to do any hunting - they scavenge from bins etc, so if they get injured by a domestic animal (dog or cat), they may get hurt but unless the injury itself is life threatening, the chances are that the fox won't starve to death. Country foxes depend on their health and agility to catch their prey (they can get some food from scavenging but are unlikely to get a good living from it) so an injury could well end up seeing them starve.

Even if you do keep a camera within reach at all times, Nod's law states that it'll have the wrong lens fitted for the situation and by the time you've changed to the right lens, the moment has gone.