Frozen by our brush with fox
AROUND this time of year my friends and I really enjoy wrapping up and heading out to the garden to toast marshmallows.
If you have it in you to embrace the cold and dark of January, it can make for some really magical evenings.
The garden provides a perfect home for plenty of urban wildlife including fat pigeons, plenty of creepy-crawlies and even, on occasion, a resident fox.
We all get so excited whenever we spot the slinky creature dip in and out of the hedges.
Foxes are such a delight to see and, though common, are very secretive.
It can be quite hard to get a good look at them. You are probably more likely to hear a fox than see one, the females make spine-chilling scream noises during courtship in winter.
One particular evening we were joined by a very special guest… the fox walked into the garden and stood right in front of us.
Nobody, including the fox, knew quite what to do.
Time froze. It was extraordinary to finally get a proper, up-close look at a fox.
Red foxes are really a spectacular sight.
They are about the size of a medium-sized dog, orangey-red on top with a white under-belly.
They have black tips on their ears, dark brown feet and a white-tipped bushy tail, known as a ‘brush.’
Red foxes are generally found in higher numbers in urban areas than rural ones, most likely because they aren’t limited by food in urban environments.
Foxes eat a hugely varied diet, they scavenge and eat lots of fruit, invertebrates, small mammals and birds.
The stand-off continued until, eventually, the fox made the first move and very cautiously padded towards a hedge before disappearing into the night.
Providing spaces for wildlife is hugely important, particularly in cities. If you have a garden you could try creating piles of leaves for insects to hide in, or plant a native hedgerow like hawthorn or hazel. Even small spaces can be turned into wildlife havens – consider planting up window boxes with wildflowers or putting out bird feeders to attract wildlife.
To become a member of the Trust go to lancswt. org.uk or call 01772 324129. »●For more information about Cheshire Wildlife Trust call 01948 820728 or go to cheshire wildlifetrust.org.uk.