Pre-dawn, I was set up and ready to photograph a local red fox den that I recently discovered. As the sun was coming up and providing excellent frontal lighting for this red fox family, I started to see the movement and stirring of several kits or pups, whichever name you prefer to call the red fox babies. In total I saw 7 pups out frolicking around in the grass with each other or getting some nursing from their mother.
From what I could tell these pups were probably born sometime last month and most likely just came out of their den recently as none of the pups left the den area. As these pups become more accustom to their area outside the den, I am sure they will start exploring further away from their den.
This fox den is situated perfectly for frontal lighting for morning photography. In the last couple of weeks, I have been out to this location at both the morning and late evening. There has been a lot of activity with the whole fox family. I have seen all 7 fox pups and both adults on each visit to this particular location. Across from the den is an open field which allows for some good hunting for the foxes. The den is also located in high ground near some water.
Like with all my wildlife and bird photography, I like to get as low as possible to the ground to photograph subjects at eye level, and there is no exception with photographing this red fox family. Being low to the ground and at eye-level allows for much more intimate images of the foxes. I will normally sit down on my little photo stool behind my tripod with my camera and long lens mounted with my tripod low to the ground, and depending on the location of the foxes, I may also lay flat on the ground handholding my camera and lens.
Foxes likes to return to the same den each year to have and raise their pups until it is time for the pups to venture out on their own. Now that I know of this particular den, I plan to spend a lot of time photographing and observing their behaviors this spring and summer and, hopefully, in future years as well when the red foxes return to this den area each year.
Before learning of this red fox den, I did not know too much about red foxes as I have not photographed them before. However, to be better able to take some fabulous photographs of the foxes, I have now been reading a lot about red foxes to help me understand them and be able to anticipate their behaviors so that I can document these fox behaviors as well with my camera.
I have had so much fun, so far, photographing this red fox family at their den. The fox pups are just so adorable and so entertaining to watch and photograph. I look forward to continue photographing and observing the behaviors of these red foxes in the future. So, you may see more red fox blog posts this spring and summer.
Thank you for reading my Field Notes Blog, and hope you will share this post with others.
Let’s protect our wildlife and nature!
Lori
Copyright © 2021 Lori A Cash
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Love this post! The foxes are so cute. You have great pictures. Love how you capture the beauty of nature and such priceless moments.
Thank you so very much, Katy!
HI LORI, The pictures are wonderful. How far from the den were you when you took them?
Thank you very much, Trav! I was respectfully 80-100 feet away from the foxes. I used a long lens to capture my images of the foxes so I would not disrupt them.