Another amazing evening watching the foxes in the garden. The dog fox turned up first, as usual. He was joined by a cub and then a second cub but he didn't stay long and soon left them to it. A few minutes later a third cub came along which is par for the course these days.
After a while the dog rejoined them and their attention was drawn to something on the right, which only means one thing...
...another cub. This was my first photo of five foxes and the first of four cubs and the father.
Then they all looked up again...
... and a fifth cub appeared!
One of the first four ran over to greet it.
Both rejoined the party and for a few moments I had six foxes eating outside the back door.
The father didn't stay long but the five cubs settled down and they were even all looking towards the camera.
Here is a short video. They don't do much except chew but it was thrilling to watch.
One cub then moved on to leave four.
And then their attention was drawn...
...to two vixens. Both were greeted very enthusiastically by the cubs so I can't tell which one is the mother. This was my second photo of the night with six foxes.
One vixen didn't stay but the other helped the last two cubs polish off what was left of the food. In the three weeks I have been watching them the cubs have grown substantially. This one will soon be as big as its mother.
So there are eight foxes in the family. This was the first time I have seen five cubs and my first photos of six foxes. Surely there can't be any more. One thing I haven't worked out is why the numbers have gradually increased over the last three weeks, rather than most or all appearing at the outset. Maybe word takes time to get around or maybe the others were being entertained elsewhere. One thing is for sure - I have had to increase their rations.
This week was a rerun of last week with the same cast members. The highlight was finding a male emperor dragonfly at rest in the reeds.
This shows the size comparison with an azure damselfly.
Once again the only female emperorI saw was ovipositing too far out in the pond.
This week there were lots of common darters, all in immature colouring.
And the first ruddy darters of the season.
Plenty of four-spotted chasers, mostly chasing.
And damselflies a-plenty.
A new butterfly for the season was the first small skipper.
I am beginning to be able to identify a few more moths. This one isn't a day flier but is easily disturbed. It is a Yellow Shell (Camptogramma bilineata).
I was watching the three cubs by the back door when the two larger ones suddenly became alert and stared into the wood.
I sensed what was coming and a fourth cub bounded in to join them!
There was then a lot of pushing and shoving as they jostled for position although the smallest cub kept out of it.
Here is a short video.
Eventually things settled down a bit.
Although there was plenty of food they were still quite competitive. Here is another short video to show what they were up to. The second cub from the left seems to be the main troublemaker but I can't tell whether it was the last to join them or one of the first three.
Later they were very settled and happy in each others' company.
I never quite got them lined up as I would have liked - it is a good job I am not a wedding photographer.
The Mammal Society website says red fox litters in the UK average four or five cubs so I expect I have seen them all. I'll keeping watching, however, hoping for a fifth cub. I think the family group is seven individuals - the dog fox, two vixens (one being the cubs' mother), and four cubs. The most I have seen together is five and the most in one photo is four but I'll keep trying to get them all in one shot. If I manage that you can be sure I'll post it here.
It just gets better. I saw one cub two weeks ago and then a few days later there were two who have turned up every night since. This time I was watching one cub outside the back door when it suddenly became alert and raced across the garden. It ran to greet the father and with him were two more cubs and they all came over to the back door. To start with the dog fox was in the way so I couldn't get a clear view of the three cubs. Here is the proud father.
After a while he trotted off and left them to it.
Occasionally there was a bit of pushing and shoving but mostly they just got on with eating. I don't know what sex they are but one is slightly smaller and darker than the other two - the one who wasn't wrestling. All three have black mark a third of the way down their tails.
The little one got bored (or full) after a while and went to play in the long grass, leaving the other two chewing.
