photo taken earlier this year, but I edited it today.
First day back at school for Angus today. He has been going to bed so late during the holidays that I was worried about how he was going to manage to get up in time, but no problems and he went off with a spring in his step.
Had the best art class ever this afternoon. I painted a beetle on a piece of acetate and was quite happy with it. Followed this up with a trip into Stratford to go to the supermarket and to collect Angus after his revision class. As usual I spent half an hour this morning writing out a shopping list, then left it on the kitchen table. Amazingly I only forgot one item off the list.
We are having to be particularly careful about locking our chickens in at night at the moment. I got a phonecall at the weekend to let me know that one of the local farmers had just lost all of his chickens to the fox and one of my neighbours who keeps ducks lost a couple of them last week because the fox ripped the planks of wood off the side of their duck house. It seems that the foxes are being particularly bold these days. A friend had one in her garden in the middle of the afternoon the other day. There don't seem to be many rabbits about at the moment. I suppose that it must be due to the bad weather meaning that they haven't started breeding yet, so the foxes who are feeding young at the moment must be starving.
This is just magical. An instant fav.
Funnily enough I have just been outside to let the dog out and there was a strong smell of fox outside. I think you are right, there are few rabbits and the foxes are now feeding their young. Apparently pee from a man around the perimeter fencing does the trick. So you know what your sons have to do.
So beautiful! We have another week off school - but then normal timetable till the weekend before the exams start.... Heard a programme on the wireless today about the state of wildlife. Barn owls dying hand over fist (no voles), badgers moving into gardens (no worms) and then we saw a fox out and about at 3pm.... It's been a tough winter - better watch my chooks too....plenty of foxes in the vicinity so could be pushing our luck.
Oh Wow. Synchronised Swans. Love the image Jan.
We had a Fox in our street a little while ago. Chasing the Cats during the night. First time I had seen one in a built up area :)
@lynnb If they saw it in the field they would defnitely chase it out (and probably try to kill it to tell the truth - some countries use them as guard animals for flocks of sheep/goats etc), but at night they are locked in a yard/stables some way away from the chickens.
Funnily enough I have just been outside to let the dog out and there was a strong smell of fox outside. I think you are right, there are few rabbits and the foxes are now feeding their young. Apparently pee from a man around the perimeter fencing does the trick. So you know what your sons have to do.
So must be a family of swans?!
Beautiful shot. Such graceful birds.
We had a Fox in our street a little while ago. Chasing the Cats during the night. First time I had seen one in a built up area :)
Absolutely beautiful.