Courtship in the dark


The strange fog decended after dark
 January is the month that foxes mate.
They are noisy about it too and the vixen will yowl , yap and scream at the dog for what seems like an eternity during their, shall we say....courtship!
Last night the guinea fowl started their high pitched screaming around nine pm, so I darted over to the field in a strange , heavy fog to check if everything was ok.
In the odd glow of the moon I could make out two foxes. The vixen was yapping away at the dog and both animals darted back and forth through the hen houses in a desperate courting race.
They obviously didn't notice  me, or indeed the little knots of birds hiding away within the hen houses, they just had eyes for each other, and I must admit that even though I hate the buggers, I thought that the ghostly spectacle of these two graceful animals galloping in the moonlight was rather moving.


At one point the vixen leaped on top of the runner duck house roof with a clatter causing a sudden burst of frightened quacking from the occupants, but the foxes weren't interested in a ducky meal and just carried on their playtime game of chase me.
Finally I had enough of their over familiarity and shouted out loudly whilst clapping my hands.
They stopped for a brief second , both turning in my direction,  then they were gone, slipping through the hedge into the dark like thieves in the night.
The field population let out a collective sigh of relief I am sure and even Albert padded over from his hiding place on top of the church wall to rub himself anxiously against my legs as I walked back to the cottage in the cold

22 comments:

  1. aw that was beautiful

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  2. So you went out 'foxing' last night, John? Makes a nice change.

    That was a nice story, and I like the dramatic photo too. Wasn't it frosty last night?!

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  3. it was a freezing fog tom
    and was quite an odd phenomenon.......as the sky seemed to be "lit up" by the moon, much more than normal

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  4. Interesting post John. I guess a full moon and fog is the perfect night for romance in January!

    I hope your brother continues to improve, John.

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  5. I knew somebody who used to mate noisily on weekend mornings. I had to tell my then young and impressionable daughter it was the neighbours moving the bedroom furniture!

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  6. Father-protector-John
    You know you will sleep with one ear open for the rest of your life.

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  7. I was there, John! You painted the scene beautifully with your words and wore the hero's cape quite well.

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  8. Your telling of the tale puts me in that moonlit moment, such pictures you paint John.

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  9. You painted a picture with your words. xxx

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  10. I'm like the other's John...I felt I was there watching the foxes run and chase each other. What a sight that must have been in the strange fog. I bet the animals were happy to hear you yell and clap your hands...they knew they were safe then. I hope you slept well after that! :)

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  11. naughty vixen! (and I mean the fox, John)

    Glad all of the fowl survived the night of debauchery - and the cycle of life continues!

    You are a talented storey teller.

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  12. What a great photo and story!

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  13. Oh, I would have loved to have been standing there watching that. It must have been so beautiful.

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  14. Strange a beautiful. Great post, John. Hope you are all well!

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  15. Thinking about it, John, This might be of interest to a large paper - a daily dose of John's life on the farm and make some extra cash It never hurts to ask if they are interested.

    Last night made a great story!

    My best to Andrew and all of you in the family!

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  16. Beautiful story. I love our mountain foxes. Some people think they were put here just to annoy the dogs and other animals, but I think they are beautiful. And smart.

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  17. Great post, your stories always make interesting reading.

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  18. Your moon looked like our moon last night. It almost looked like a picture os the sun setting.
    I went outside and took a picture.. It was so beautiful~! Later in the evening it had to bright rings around the moon. ice crystals.
    We have cyouts in our area.. How do you spell that word..
    Amazing what a full moon will do to animals..
    have a great day~ ta ta for now from Iowa

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  19. Sounds like a page out of Dickens

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  20. Nice post, John. And great photo. What a strange weather phenomenon. BTW I have never seen a fox - no such beasts over here.

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  21. Anonymous7:14 pm

    Great photo...and great tale. You're quite a story teller!
    Dia

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  22. Anonymous10:05 pm

    Nothing trumps an eagle sighting around our house I'm afraid. But I'll tell you what, a pair of foxes courting in the moonlight on top of a runner duck house? That one warps the space/time continuum on a whole new level. It goes straight into fairy tale territory. It's Mother Goose haunting your allotment. It even beats the badgers snuffling around in the moonlight while you sat silently on the wall and watched. (I adored that story.) :-)

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