Walking to work along the lower dirt trail by the river, I glanced up to find a fox staring at me intently from about 20 feet down the path.
I assume he was coming down the path from the opposite direction and stopped when he (or she, but I hate to use "it"). It seemed like a very intense stare. People are always distracted by one thing or another. This guy appeared very much to be living in the here and now.
I thought he would run away. I've encountered a few coyotes along here and they tend to be much more skittish, rapidly departing. After a few seconds of staring at each other he turned and walked away. I backed up slowly to get out of sight so I could get my camera out of my pack. It was a long shot that he'd stick around long enough for photos, but it's always worth a try. Sure enough, by the time I had my camera out and ready he had disappeared.
I started walking slowly down the trail. The leaves haven't all fallen, but enough that visibility is better than in the summer. I didn't know which direction he'd gone so I was looking all around. I had the telephoto zoomed all the way on my camera, assuming I'd see him in the distance if at all. Of course, he appeared right beside me and I got a couple of shots of a big blur before he sauntered away again, just doing his own thing.
Humorously, when he reached the open area he sat down and looked back at me, almost as if to say "are you coming?",
Then he headed into the bush on the river bank. I followed slowly. He seemed unconcerned about me, but I didn't want to push my luck. I found him sniffing around in the leaves.
He uncovered the remains of a magpie and lay down to chew on it. You can see a feather hanging from his mouth. I'm not sure if he just happened to find it, or if he'd left it there previously. Some magpies had been in the trees above him and he had looked up at them. I though maybe they were harassing him, but perhaps he's been catching them?
Then it was time for a good scratch. This was the only time that he stayed in one place long enough for me to take a little video.
Then time for a thoughtful look at the river.
I figured I'd pestered him enough for one day and I let him go his own way. Besides, it was -5c, my hands were frozen, and my camera battery was low.
I love the bushy tail and the black tips on the ears.
Sadly, none of these shots is as sharp as I'd like. They're not bad for the web, but not for big prints. I wish I'd had a better camera, but at least I had the little ZS100. And regardless of the photos, it was wonderful to spend a little time with such a beautiful creature.
I assume he was coming down the path from the opposite direction and stopped when he (or she, but I hate to use "it"). It seemed like a very intense stare. People are always distracted by one thing or another. This guy appeared very much to be living in the here and now.
I thought he would run away. I've encountered a few coyotes along here and they tend to be much more skittish, rapidly departing. After a few seconds of staring at each other he turned and walked away. I backed up slowly to get out of sight so I could get my camera out of my pack. It was a long shot that he'd stick around long enough for photos, but it's always worth a try. Sure enough, by the time I had my camera out and ready he had disappeared.
I started walking slowly down the trail. The leaves haven't all fallen, but enough that visibility is better than in the summer. I didn't know which direction he'd gone so I was looking all around. I had the telephoto zoomed all the way on my camera, assuming I'd see him in the distance if at all. Of course, he appeared right beside me and I got a couple of shots of a big blur before he sauntered away again, just doing his own thing.
Humorously, when he reached the open area he sat down and looked back at me, almost as if to say "are you coming?",
Then he headed into the bush on the river bank. I followed slowly. He seemed unconcerned about me, but I didn't want to push my luck. I found him sniffing around in the leaves.
He uncovered the remains of a magpie and lay down to chew on it. You can see a feather hanging from his mouth. I'm not sure if he just happened to find it, or if he'd left it there previously. Some magpies had been in the trees above him and he had looked up at them. I though maybe they were harassing him, but perhaps he's been catching them?
Then it was time for a good scratch. This was the only time that he stayed in one place long enough for me to take a little video.
Then time for a thoughtful look at the river.
I figured I'd pestered him enough for one day and I let him go his own way. Besides, it was -5c, my hands were frozen, and my camera battery was low.
I love the bushy tail and the black tips on the ears.
Sadly, none of these shots is as sharp as I'd like. They're not bad for the web, but not for big prints. I wish I'd had a better camera, but at least I had the little ZS100. And regardless of the photos, it was wonderful to spend a little time with such a beautiful creature.
Love the title!
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