For the past week or so the fox clan has been invisible.  No kits playing around,  only one furtive adult trotting through the area and very little sign that anything was changing over in the ‘play area’.   With every gunshot we were reminded of how fleeting existence can be for wild creatures.  Was it the neighbor?  Or some sickness?  Or caution maybe that prompter the adults to move the litter further into the woods?  There was no way to know.

But today they’ve reappeared.  I was gone all last week in Colorado and hadn’t seen any activity since before I left.  But right on schedule (11am) they suddenly popped up above ground, scratched the bugs off and started playing.  They’ve gotten big – maybe twice the size since I saw them last.   Their color has lightened considerably, shifted to the dusty tan that most will end up being for life.   Their tails are thicker, less rat-like.

I’ve watched them over lunch and they’re back again after I finished my work day.  The dogs are sitting at the fence barking at them, but the bunch doesn’t seem to care too much.  The female peers over every now and then but has apparently decided that the dogs pose no threat.  The creek is running now between the house and the play area and the sound dampens the noises we make that the female was so wary of last week.

I tried getting some pics but had no good ones.  So, here’s one from just before I left.  The female is standing patiently while the litter crowd around her belly for a meal.  We saw her bring a dead starling to them one evening, so they’re progressing to solid food.  The picture isn’t all that clear, but maybe I’ll get a chance for more in the coming days.