We haven’t seen much of our fox friends this year, but I have caught a fleeting glimpse of them, usually late in the evenings, as they cross the front deck in front of the French doors where my easy chair is located. This afternoon, Susan sighted one of the foxes and alerted me. I pulled out the phone camera and recorded this little movie.
Austin has had about six weeks of 3-digit temperatures, and every living thing is stressed – plants, insects, birds, and urban wildlife like Vicente. We have three water features that serve the needs of insects like wasps, the birds, squirrels, racoons, skunks, possums, and foxes. These watering holes serve us as well in that they attract all of these wonderful creatures (wonderful except for the racoons and skunks) and provide soothing white noise for us to enjoy when we sit on the deck.
Vicente drank his fill while remaining vigilant. There’s always competition and territorial behaviors at watering holes. Vicente was ultimately chased away by mockingbirds who used a combination of strafing maneuvers and harsh language to drive him off. I stepped out in time to observe his retreat and identify the entrance to his den.
I am not going to bother him or his kin.