Red Foxes at St. Nicholas Church

On my last visit on 21st July 2020, I watched the Red Foxes from a new vantage point that gave me a view down the grassy strip that runs parallel to Church Hill down to St. Nicholas Lane plus additionally a view of the church car park.

However, whilst that provided many more views of the Red Foxes, achieving good quality photos was more difficult due to the distance involved.

I therefore tried 2 closer locations this morning which again gave me views of where the Red Foxes are most active. At these locations, I used a tree and some bushes as cover to try and break up my outline.

Again, I was successful in seeing Red Foxes with several sightings of the cubs (2 together on a single occasion) plus the vixen and possibly a dog over a period of 30 minutes from 7 a.m.

However, the opportunities for good quality photos remains challenging. The Red Foxes that I saw were either obscured by vegetation, sitting or moving in poorly lit areas or just too fast for me .... none of which results in good photos!

Here are some of the record photos that I took, firstly of one of the cubs ....

Secondly, here is a better photo of what I believe is a dog Red Fox. The broader “W” shaped head profile (rather than the slimmer “V” shaped head profile of a vixen) suggests a dog.

In addition, this animal seemed far more confident to stand and stare whereas the vixen and cubs usually run off or bolt for cover if they see me. It is definitely far thicker set in the body than the cubs which still appear quite slim with ears that seem slightly too big in proportion to the head.

I am not sure if I have seen this Red Fox before and it does seem to have part of its left ear missing which is characteristic and something to look out for in future.

Before I left the site, I again had a quick look around the entrance/exit in the hedgerow that the Red Foxes use. The chewed up tennis ball is now half a chewed up tennis ball 😀. The golf ball was still in the same place around the entrance/exit.

Site totals to date

Birds = 48
Mammals = 6
Butterflies = 20
Dragonflies and damselflies = 6
Reptiles = 1
Amphibians = 0

💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚

Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature

Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 28th July 2020

Date: 28th July 2020

Time: from 6:45 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, moderate wind, 13°C to 15°C

This was my first visit to either or my local patch sites in a week.

Yet again, July has produced several days of weather not typical of July: cool, windy, cloudy and rainy. This was hardly an incentive to get out and about.

This morning was still cool with a moderate wind but at least it was dry and sunny.

As on all my early morning visits, I spent some time watching the Red Foxes. I have written a separate dedicated blog post here. 

Other than the Red Foxes, this was my quietest visit to the site in a long time.

I only managed to record 2 species of butterfly due to the cool temperatures: Gatekeeper (c.30), Meadow Brown (1).

Gatekeepers continue to be abundant and I recorded c.10 in a small area of brambles during a 15 minute period in order to submit records to the Big Butterfly Count organised by Butterfly Conservation .... see here.

With regard to birds, it was exceptionally quiet with few birds seen and only sporadic singing and calling and as such there is a very short list of species recorded.

I heard just a single male Blackcap singing very briefly and weakly (what a contrast to the number of males singing loudly and robustly during my spring visits) and heard another bird alarm calling. In addition, I heard a single Chiffchaff briefly giving its soft whistled contact call. I failed to see either species.

The only other notable record was a male Greenfinch which I did see singing and calling from the top of the usual tall conifer tree.

This was the second visit running that I failed to hear or see a Swift over St. Nicholas Church and the area adjacent to Pound Lane. I speculated in the blog post for my last visit to the site that it was still a bit early for these birds to have moved on and started their migration south. I have heard and seen single birds on a few occasions from my flat in recent days but the overall numbers are now definitely much reduced.

Species recorded during this visit were as follows (heard only records in italics):

Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Blue Tit
Robin
Wren
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Greenfinch
Jay
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Woodpigeon
Herring Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull

Red Fox

Gatekeeper
Meadow Brown

Here are some photos from my visit (albeit only Gatekeepers and St. Nicholas Church):

Photo: Gatekeeper

Photo: Gatekeeper

Photo: Gatekeeper

Photo: Gatekeeper

Photo: Gatekeepers

Photo: St. Nicholas Church

Photo: St. Nicholas Church

Site totals to date:

Birds = 48
Mammals = 4
Butterflies = 20
Dragonflies and damselflies = 6
Reptiles = 1
Amphibians = 0

💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature

Red Foxes at St. Nicholas Church

I have decided not to watch Red Foxes from the location that I have used for several weeks since sightings there and photography opportunities have been steadily decreasing as the cubs range over a much larger area.

Therefore, this morning, for the first time, I watched from a vantage point that gave me a view down the grassy strip that runs parallel to Church Hill down to St. Nicholas Lane plus additionally a view of the church car park.

My first sighting was as soon as I arrived at the top of Church Hill when I saw a Red Fox run across the road down at the far end by St. Nicholas Lane.

My new watching location proved to be a good decision in that I had several sightings of Red Foxes, including the vixen and cubs in the grassy strip between 6:50 a.m. and 7:25 a.m. This included 2 of the cubs together.

However, whilst I had many more views of the Red Foxes from here, achieving good quality photos was more difficult due to the distance involved, hence the lack of sharpness.

Here are some of the photos that I took, starting with one of 2 cubs and showing that I am still having issues with camera shyness 😀. The photos that follow are also of one of the cubs.

After watching the Red Foxes, I walked over to the buddleia bush in the central area of the cemetery to see if there were any butterflies. Whilst I was photographing 2 Red Admirals, I heard the loud barks and screams of 2 Red Foxes fighting over by the western end of the cemetery. 

After that, I walked back towards the church car park and immediately saw the vixen and 2 cubs running around the top end of the grassy strip. When they saw me, they all bolted for cover with the vixen issuing her alarm bark.

Before I left the site, I had a quick look around the entrance/exit in the hedgerow that the Red Foxes use and which is close to my former watching location. It seems like ball games are a regular play time thing, since the chewed up tennis ball has now appeared alongside the golf ball 😀.

💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature

Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 21st July 2020

Date: 21st July 2020

Time: from 6:45 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, light wind, 11°C to 16°C

As on all my early morning visits, I spent some time watching the Red Foxes. I have written a separate dedicated blog post here. 

After watching the Red Foxes, I tried finding and photographing some butterflies. This was a little more difficult than in recent days since the temperature was much cooler. Other than the abundant Gatekeeper, the number of butterflies was generally low.

However, I still recorded 7 species of butterfly: Common Blue (1 female), Small Copper (2), Marbled White (1), Red Admiral (2), Small Skipper (1), Gatekeeper (c.40), Meadow Brown (2)

My record of Common Blue was my first for the site for the year.

With regard to birds, I saw both a male and a red-headed female Blackcap foraging in the bushes around the edge of the church car park plus I heard 3 male Blackcaps singing briefly at various locations around the site. In addition, I heard 2 Chiffchaffs giving their soft whistled contact call but failed to see them.

Whilst watching the Red Foxes, I heard a Green Woodpecker calling on several occasions and it finally revealed itself clinging to the top of one of the high trees that border Church Hill. I also heard a calling Great Spotted Woodpecker in the western section of the cemetery but failed to see it.

I regularly see both Herring Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull flying over the site but Black-headed Gull only occasionally. However, on today’s visit, I did see a single Black-headed Gull fly over as I watched the Red Foxes.

Today was the first time in many recent visits that I failed to hear or see a Swift. Surely it is still a bit early for these birds to have moved on and started their migration south?

Species recorded during this visit were as follows (heard only records in italics):

Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Robin
Wren
Dunnock
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Goldfinch
Green Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Jay
Magpie
Carrion Crow
Woodpigeon
Collared Dove
Black-headed Gull
Lesser Black-backed Gull

Red Fox

Common Blue
Small Copper
Marbled White
Red Admiral
Small Skipper
Gatekeeper
Meadow Brown

Here are some photos from my visit:

Photo: female Common Blue

Photo: Small Copper

Photo: Small Copper

Photo: Small Copper

Photo: Small Copper

Photo: Small Copper

Photo: Small Copper

Photo: Small Skipper

Photo: Small Skipper

Photo: Red Admiral

Photo: Red Admiral

Photo: Red Admiral

Photo: Red Admiral

Photo: Red Admiral

Photo: Red Admiral

Photo: Gatekeeper

Photo: Gatekeeper

Photo: Hornet Mimic Hoverfly

Photo: Rosebay Willowherb

Photo: Common Ragwort

Photo: Common Ragwort

Photo: Blackberries

Photo: Blackberries



Photo: Blackberries

Photo: Honeysuckle

Photo: Honeysuckle

Site totals to date:

Birds = 48
Mammals = 4
Butterflies = 20
Dragonflies and damselflies = 6
Reptiles = 1
Amphibians = 0

💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature