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Monday, March 19, 2007

Poetry In Motion





Yesterday, this beautiful Red Fox was hunting our "Bobolink Farm" fields in the rosy glow of early light. We watched it meander on the frozen surface, then lift its leg to pee, revealing it was a male fox. He ran across the fields then slowed and alertly cock his head to one side, listening. He reared up, levitating above the snow, then pounced, with full body force on front paws, pinning a vole. He grabbed his fat, furry prize and shook the vole, then trotted off into the woods carrying it in his mouth.

How privledged we felt to watch this magnificent animal going about his serious business of survival. We also felt a sense of pride that our careful maintaining of the meadows provided vole habitat and escape from hunger for this canine, at least for another day.

Photographed through the window with my Canon 1D Mark II camera with Canon 300 MM IS lens and 1.4 teleconverter, hand held. Fox was 300 ft. away.

Photos © Lillian Stokes, 2007

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi,
I noticed you own the Canon 300 f/4 L lens, and I was wondering if you also own the 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 IS L or considered doing so? I'm trying to decide between the two.

Thanks!
Raed A.

Lillian Stokes said...

Yes, I also own the Canon 100-400 lens and my opinion, and the opinion of many photographers I have talked to, is that it is not as sharp as the Canon 300 f/4 lens.

Lillian

RuthieJ said...

What a pretty little fox and how fortunate for you to see him! We almost never see them anymore since coyotes expanded their range, so I consider it a special treat when I do spot one. Thanks for sharing.