Molly’s photo of foxes in her garden has struck a chord with our Chairman Julia. Sounds like her nocturnal visitor is being thoroughly spoiled.

REDWOOD VISITOR

It all started about two years ago when I threw Sheba’s uneaten food for the birds on the grass in my woodland.  The food disappeared in no time at all – every last crumb and this went on for a couple of weeks.  Inspecting a boundary fence one day I noticed ‘something’ had tunnelled under the fence from the road side leaving a definite trail.   Could it be a fox or a badger?  Both a fox and a badger had been seen around Redwoods at the time by neighbours.

Finally, I realised a fox was paying me a regular night time visit.  His tunnel fitted the size and width of his body.  This was all two years ago and during that time until now I have been feeding him nightly.  He is now known to me as Mr Fox.   Sometimes Sheba leaves him food, or he has good quality dog food that I buy, or best of all, bones from a Sunday roast with a slice of brown bread so he has his calcium!  Occasionally he has chicken and chips.  This does mean I rarely have any food to throw away.  Often, I get out of bed at 10.30pm to feed Mr Fox to avoid his food being eaten by neighbouring cats.  His food is left in a plastic bowl under a broken terracotta pot as shelter from the rain.  The only problem is that he takes the bowl into the bushes to eat in peace so now there is a daily hunt for his bowl – gives a new meaning to take-aways.

Have I seen Mr Fox you may well ask?  Maurice and I have often stayed up late but apart from gleaming eyes and a blurred outline we did not see him …… until …..two weeks ago.  It was mid-day and I was returning from the compost heap and, there ten feet away from me, in the garden, was the most magnificent fox you would ever see.  He was in prime condition, not a mark on him, big bushy tail, bright eyes with big upright standing ears.  We looked at each other for ten seconds or more and I just marvelled at my very own fox.  Finally, he melted away in the undergrowth.  He reappeared again in daylight two days later and this time Maurice was thrilled to see him slowly patrolling the house and patio.

We like to think Mr Fox will find himself a nice wife but meantime he will not go hungry over Christmas!  Afterall, he has a turkey carcass to eat up!

Julia Mooney