I’ve decided to return to blogging on Saturdays, mainly to cover my journal-making and whatever fun topics that come to mind.

Over the years, we’ve had the occasional fox stop by for a visit, some bolder than others…

This guy was at the bottom of the garden and didn’t seem at all bothered with us being outside… (2012)

We usually hear them barking at night – a hair-raising sound, especially when it shocks you awake in the dead of night. And some nights we see them meandering up and down our street.

This year, though, we’ve been lucky enough to have at least two who decided to visit regularly.

Most mornings in March, there’d be one fox - don’t know if it was the same one each time - sleeping in the garden who’d keep changing position to always be in a sunny spot.

The interesting thing – our cats, especially Tamu, don’t seem to mind them and the foxes seem quite chilled around the cats. Our neighbour said the same; her cat who’s usually quite timid isn’t fazed by the sight of a fox close to her.

Taken from my bedroom window - Tamu-cat probably thinking, “So what if there’s a fox sleeping right there? Where’s my breakfast?” (2020)

Even though we enjoy seeing the foxes in our garden, we’re happy that they’re wary of humans and disappear whenever any of us step out the back door.

One evening a month or so ago, the boys were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a couple of fox pups exploring the garden with their mum. Tamu was out there, quite close to them, and neither party seemed bothered about the other. Unfortunately, I was having a shower so missed them.

However, I hear them regularly enough. My bedroom window overlooks the back garden and some nights, I’m jolted out of sleep by that distinctive high-pitched screaming bark. Sometimes it sounds like its right under my window. And it sounds young.

Late June, the last time I saw what I think are the parents of the pups

Yesterday, I caught sight of two young foxes in the garden. One disappeared after exploring, but the other hung about. I thought it had also gone but Liam realised it was right outside the window, sniffing its way up to the back door. He was going to open the door as his baby kitty was outside.

I tapped on the window and little foxy retreated to the garden, sniffed the grass then rolled about.

We tapped on the window again to try and get it to look at us. It looked everywhere but at us – so much for sense of direction! – then trotted off.

So long as the little foxes get along with the cats and vice versa – hopefully, their mum has taught them well – I hope we see more of them.

In the fields where Liam looks after the lady’s horse, we’ve seen deer. These pictures were taken from the car…

Lucky Liam, though, has seen a little fawn, which he almost tripped over while checking the fencing. It was sat still in the long grass, as they do when mum is away. He backed away and, after a few moments, it bounded off.

He saw another one last week. Yet again, I missed it as I was a little too far and the grass was too long; all I saw were the tops of its ears as it ran off.

As Liam is finishing seeing to his charge, I usually walk around one of the fields. And, finally, got to see more than I was expecting.

I heard a noise, looked up and saw a doe and two smaller deer. My phone camera is rubbish at distance shots, but I took a couple of pictures anyway…

And I have to include these cuties – swallow chicks!

Swallow chicks in their nest in the stable

According to the lady who owns the horse Liam looks after, swifts have been building nests in the stable for some years now. It’s been a joy to watch these little ones grow, see their parents fly in and out feeding them, and we were even lucky enough to see them learn to take flight.

In these strange times, I treasure moments like these and, of course, our foxy visitors.

Our Fox Visitors