One thing I love about my job is the non-standard work schedule and the ability to have week days off. Well I had two days off in a row and the weather report a week out had both days being sunny. Needless to say I was really looking forward to getting some great shots of the Foxes in sunny conditions with the bonus of actually having snow on the ground.
But......................
Ended up with cloudy and snowing................
I wasn’t looking forward to the overcast skies because I knew it would push my ISO up, possibly beyond my comfortable limit. Snow is just rain in a different form and while living in Texas I had developed a love of shooting in the rain. So as I headed out that first morning I was hoping the snow falling would add that little bit of pop to the photographs to help overcome the higher ISO’s.
I arrived a little before sunrise and the female (who I have named Gorgeous) was already out doing what Foxes do in the morning. It was way to early to shoot, so I watched her for about 45 minutes before she disappeared in the woods. During that time another photographer showed up and we spent some time chatting before I decided to walk down the trail to a pond that a pair of Bald Eagles like to hunt, their nest is somewhere nearby (I haven’t really looked for it yet).
The eagles were not around and when coming back I noticed the other photographer down the trail pointing his camera into the woods. I was a good ways off so I started to slowly move forward. I got about 95 yards (distance is per EXIF) away and moved off the trail, down the bank (the trail follows a creek) before laying down to watch the Fox. What happen next is something I should have expected but wasn’t really thinking about, I was just wanting to get my typical low perspective.
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Gorgeous 001 by
Phocal Art, on Flickr
Over the years I have noticed that animals who are habituated to humans (especially their young) get really interested in a human when they lay down. I can only assume it’s because they are use to seeing humans walk by, but laying down on the ground is not a normal behavior. Since they are not really afraid of humans, this unusual behavior makes them curious. Especially if they are an animal that is curious by nature, like the Red Fox. Once she noticed me laying down, her curiosity got the better of her and she came out on to the trail and sat down to watch me.
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Gorgeous 002 by
Phocal Art, on Flickr
It didn’t take but a minute before she decided to investigate the strange behavior of the human and she headed my way.
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Gorgeous 003 by
Phocal Art, on Flickr
I moved a little to get into a better shooting position and it spooked her. Not enough to take off, but enough for her to move along the edge of the trees.
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Gorgeous 004 by
Phocal Art, on Flickr
It was only a brief stop before she decided I wasn’t a threat and kept coming towards me.
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Gorgeous 005 by
Phocal Art, on Flickr
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Gorgeous 006 by
Phocal Art, on Flickr
Her approach wasn’t a non-stop trip, she made a number of stops trying to decide what I was doing.
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Gorgeous 007 by
Phocal Art, on Flickr
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Gorgeous 008 by
Phocal Art, on Flickr
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Gorgeous 009 by
Phocal Art, on Flickr
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Gorgeous 010 by
Phocal Art, on Flickr
It was about this time that I started to get a little nervous because I had no idea what she was up to. By this time she had gotten within 55 feet and seemed determined to get a lot closer.
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Gorgeous 011 by
Phocal Art, on Flickr
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Gorgeous 012 by
Phocal Art, on Flickr