And then there were three (cubs)
Monday, 18. June 2007, 23:16:46
A welcome early evening surprise today. Roofy emerged around dusk with one of the cubs. Not a great time for photos, so these shots were with the ISO ramped up, and the shutter down between 1/50 and about 1/20. Better than flash as it was less likely to disturb them, but it does create some slight noise/blur. And the reason for caution was that more than one cub was about.
At first it was Roofy and the bold cub
We could hear noises beyond the fence while Roofy was grooming the young one, and eventually a second cub emerged. It kept to the far end of the garden and not in clear line of sight, but you can just see a peek of a head on the far left of this next photo. And in the one after that you catch a blur of it cutting across the rear of the shot.
While we were watching it flit in and out of view, a third cub made the briefest of appearances. Two cubs at the back of the garden, and the bold one near the front. Roofy was somewhere in the middle keeping a close eye on them. So that's three and probably the whole group (bar the vixen). No photo of the third one yet.
The bold cub, with Roofy lurking behind.
At first it was Roofy and the bold cubWe could hear noises beyond the fence while Roofy was grooming the young one, and eventually a second cub emerged. It kept to the far end of the garden and not in clear line of sight, but you can just see a peek of a head on the far left of this next photo. And in the one after that you catch a blur of it cutting across the rear of the shot.
While we were watching it flit in and out of view, a third cub made the briefest of appearances. Two cubs at the back of the garden, and the bold one near the front. Roofy was somewhere in the middle keeping a close eye on them. So that's three and probably the whole group (bar the vixen). No photo of the third one yet.
The bold cub, with Roofy lurking behind.
WIDGETIZE
Adele # 18. June 2007, 23:42
Chthoniid # 19. June 2007, 05:05
Is 3 cubs normal or unusual for foxes?
Mark Jones # 19. June 2007, 05:08
chthoiid, there were around 5 or 6 cubs in Word's garden last year, have a look several pages down the blog and you will see last years activity.
Chthoniid # 19. June 2007, 05:26
So foxes are pretty fecund. That'll contribute to the loathing Australians have for them I'm afraid.
Much better left in their natural environment. Which apparently, is Word's garden
Claudette # 19. June 2007, 10:25
Darko # 19. June 2007, 11:15
Words # 20. June 2007, 21:58
Three or four cubs is about average, but last year there were two breeding vixens hence 7 cubs in all, though after early May we only ever saw six, and had a further fatality during the summer. Mortality can be quite high, but the overall numbers of foxes remain very stable over the years.
The three cubs all looked very healthy, but two are so shy it may be difficult to monitor them. The third one is a rascal and is beginning to behave like Roofy, and Blondie before him. I got some good video of Roofy and the cub the last night and will try and edit some together at the weekend.