Good news and bad news. First the bad news. The beautiful blonde vixen is dead. By a bizarre coincidence I found her body on the south side of Gosforth Nature Reserve, 1.6km (1 mile) from here as the crow flies. She was instantly recognisable from her colour and her torn left ear and had been killed by a dog, or possibly by another fox I suppose. I had seen her here the night before and had noted how she didn't even bother to offer a submissive gesture to the dog fox when he came to join her. He is much more gentlemanly and less assertive than his predecessor. Here are the two of them a few days before the vixen died.
It is interesting that she was that far from here. I don't know where the den was where she had her cubs but it can't have been far away as the foxes were usually here before sunset in the middle of the summer. The dog fox has continued to turn up here every night.
Now some good news. At long last there is a cub in the garden, the first this year. I got a glimpse three nights ago and saw that it was already nearly full grown and had a black tip to its tail. The next night I was ready with the camera when it turned up.
After only a couple of minutes it was aware of another fox and crouched down in submission.
Moments later it ran to meet the new fox, meaning it was family and not a stranger. The new fox trotted over to the food - it was my regular dog fox.
The cub stayed back and lay down to wait half way across the garden.
I am astonished that the camera can get those photos in the dark. This is how it looks to me with the cub in the distance.
Eventually the cub was bored with waiting and disappeared. Last night neither of the foxes turned up before I went to bed but I hope to get a photo of them together soon.
So sad about the vixen, but great that the cub and dog fox are doing well
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