The fox and the hound

This is something that happened a few weeks ago but will stay with me for sometime Im sure.

Hubby had gone out for a meal with friends and I took Bella out on our usual walk alone this evening around 8pm. We walk this field several times a week and more often than not as 1 of our walks a day-I try and mix up bellas walks so they dont become boring and we are lucky to live surrounded by different places to take her right on our door step.

So there we were, walking round this large field, which is part of the Loseley Estate land, minding our own business when all of a sudden I hear rustling in the hedge next to me and just 4 maybe 5 FT in front of me up pops this fox's head!!! Thankfully Bella only howled and the fox darted off towards a ditch in the hedge line which is when I noticed the 2 fox cubs playing outside their den!!! We had stumbled across a vixen and her cubs lol. I was momentarily frozen to the spot and then fear panicked me thinking what if the mum attacks Bella-Id read online not a few days before hand of dogs being attacked in their own garndens by foxes and here I was right ontop of her den. So I walked away quickly but calmly and we went to the other end of the field.

The following morning I took hubby back to the field and we walked quietly towards the same spot (without bella this time BTW) and crouched down and watched the 2 cubs playing for some minutes before they darted down the den hole. We were able to take a couple of photos before they vanished.


Over the next week we saw them running about whilst we took bella on her walk although we kept our distance and resorted to watching through binoculars. Sadly and worryingly one day on our way out in the car along the main road we saw an adult fox dead after being hit by a car right at the enterence to the field along the road side. :O( It was about 2 more weeks before we saw a fox near the den and we feared the worse. But last weekend we were all out on our usual walk in the evening and there as bold as brass sat a fox enjoying the late evening sunshine and playing about in the grass. I havent taken any pics of him/her but I will take my camera out in the hope of a shot. We also saw said fox have a territory dispute? with another fox right in frontc of us chasing each other across the length of the field in less than 10 seconds! They can run when they need to!

So there you are a real fox and the hound moment and im pleased to say instinct didnt kick in for Bella :O) Yes she howled and barked but stuck right next to my leg.

Its not the first time we have realised just how much nature and wildlife we have on our door step. We had 2 pairs (at least) of buzzards nest in this field and the field opposite and often heard them and saw them soaring across the sky or perched in the tree or on the phone poles. We have occasional kestrals come over. The same field (Fox field as we now call it) often has a lone deer in. We hear cuckoo's and live at the foot of the Surrey Hills, so we have access to some wonderful walks.

This has meant that me and the husband have become quite interested in photography and taking photos whilst out on our walks has seen us to increase our equipment and so we have been able to catch some great pictures over the past 6 months or so.

I may devote a whole seperate post to pictures we have taken as im still working my way round this all :O) Sarah & Bella x