The changing of the guard

This blog has been taken over by otters and ladybirds since the new year so it is only fair that the foxes get a turn.  A lot has changed in the last few weeks.  I think there is a new alpha pair but I haven't quite worked out which is which.

First, to recap.  This is the previous dog fox, but I haven't seen him since December.  He seemed to be a bit more relaxed as he got older and didn't eat quite as quickly as he used to, although he still rarely sat down.  He was easy to recognise so I'll miss him but I think his time is over.

The next fox has been around for 18 months and I think was a cub from 2021.  She has short black socks on her front legs and turned up here a couple of months ago with a nasty wound on her face.  It has now healed but has left a scar.  Last month she was walking on three legs and couldn't even put her right front foot to the ground.  I am surprised she managed to get into the garden given that all the foxes have to jump or climb over the rabbit fence to get in.  A couple of weeks ago she was back but was still limping, although she could take a bit of weight on that leg. In the photo it still looks injured.

The third fox I think was also a 2021 cub.  She has fairly long black socks, only a tiny white tip to her tail, a pretty face with fluffy cheeks and is a fairly relaxed character.

This fox is a newcomer and I think may be the new alpha female.  It is very pretty and well coloured and often lies down to eat.  It has long black socks, darker facial markings and a fairly big white tag on the tail.

And this fox I have only seen in the last few days.  It is big, very pale and has a torn left ear, so is very easy to recognise.  I wonder if this is the new alpha male - perhaps a dog fox is more likely to end up with a torn ear from fighting.

These last two will come to the garden together, although they don't feed side by side. The pretty, darker fox offers submission to the paler one but doesn't yield the peanuts.  The pale one is happy to sit and wait its turn, something the previous alpha male used to do when his mate was eating at this time of year.  If the female is well fed she is more likely to produce a healthy litter.

I'll keep an eye on what is happening and hope I'll be able to confirm who is who in the new arrangement.  It will be interesting to see which of the previous family of foxes is allowed to stay in the territory, if any.