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The foxes have been very elusive over the summer so this is the first news since April.  I know they have been coming because the food has been taken and they have been showing up on the weasel trail cameras but it has always been well after I have gone to bed.

In the last week things have changed, perhaps because of the darker evenings, and I now see a fox every evening before 10pm.  This is the dog fox - he looks a bit scruffy on a wet evening, especially as he has moulted his tail, but he'll smarten up over the next few weeks.

Then a few nights ago I saw the first cub of the year.  It didn't look up much so didn't make a great first photo.

The next night he was back - this time he was very wary and couldn't bring himself to take the food, even though he came to within a few inches.  He kept retreating to sit a few metres away and to have a think and eventually gave up and went away.

The next night the dog was here first and when the cub arrived the dog fox ignored him and didn't invite it to join in.  In this photo below the dog is on the left, having retreated to chew a bit of cheese rind.  I think he ate all the food, down to the last peanut, and by then the cub had disappeared.

The cub's behaviour is strange.  Two nights ago he circled the garden about ten times but couldn't pluck up courage to approach the food.  And last night he came straight up and made himself at home.  Here are a few more portraits.  He has long black socks, a tiny white tag on his tail and a little black mark on his nose so is is quite recognisable.

It is good to be able to see the foxes again.  I hope more cubs will turn up in the next few days but it has usually been earlier in the summer than this to see a lot of cubs so one may be all I see this year.