Early yesterday morning I trudged through the crusted snow to my favorite spot at Huntley Meadows Park. Along the way I saw a Bald Eagle and a hawk, so I knew that it was going to be a good day.
My favorite spot is a beaver pond in a somewhat remote area of the park. l like to sit at the edge of the pond and watch and wait as a feeling of peace and serenity gradually envelops me. It seems so far removed from the hurried rat race characteristic of the Washington D.C. area and has a restorative effect on my overall well-being.
The pond is frozen now, so I am able to sit on one of the logs that make up the beaver dam and extend my feet over the ice. I place a big plastic bag on the log and sit on a folded towel, so it’s pretty comfortable, even when the temperature is below freezing, as it was yesterday.
As I was looking toward a Great Blue Heron to my left, I detected some movement out of the corner of my right eye. I stopped breathing for a moment when I saw that a Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) was standing on the ice. It looked like the fox had been planning to cross the pond and stopped when it spotted me.
Our eyes met for a moment as I took a few shots. Then the unthinkable happened. I pressed my shutter button and the shutter did not engage. Glancing down at my camera, I saw that the battery had died—several hours of freezing temperatures had temporarily drained the battery. This had happened before, although never at a critical moment, so I had another battery in my pocket.
I tried to change the battery as quickly as possible, but the additional movement spooked the fox a little and and it turned around and made its way back to the far bank of the pond. I managed to get a final shot of the fox after the battery change. The fox’s face is not visible, but at least you can see its bushy tail.
Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
That first shot is beautiful! A truly magic moment.
Wow!
Brilliant images!
Thanks so much. The first shot is definitely my favorite shot of this year and possibly my favorite of all time.
Wow! Great shots, what a beautiful fox!
That first shot is great. Your story brings back so many cringe moments of my own when the shutter didn’t work!
If it’s not the shutter, it’s settings that I forgot to check or modes that accidentally got switched, or a whole host of other variables that I forgot to check. Sometimes it seems like a miracle when I have all of the settings exactly like I wanted to have them set. 🙂
It truly is amazing how many things can go wrong.
I can’t tell you how much better that makes me feel. Beyond all that, your photo of the fox is magical. When we have those moments, a slightly “off” exposure, or a little blur, suddenly seems less important. I’ve not seen a fox in some time — what a delightful encounter.
I Sooooo identify with this Mike !
I think we have all been there and have, like fishermen, have stories of the ones that got away.
Far too many Mike !
Awesome capture!
Gorgeous! He frequently graces us with his presence.
Beautiful!
Oh how annoying, but that first shot is perfect Mike – eye to eye!
Well it just goes to show what a great photographer you are that you captured that incredible first shot despite the circumstances.
He’s a beauty! Lovely to see that thick winter coat 🙂
The fox seems to be pretty healthy and I too love its spectacular coloration and coat.
Very healthy from the look of his coat and bright eyes 🙂 It’s always lovely to see one in the countryside where they are meant to be! I have a soft spot for our urban foxes as they’re real survivors but they never grow as big or have such a great coat as those in the country.
Thanks, Sarah. Although I live in a suburban area, the large marshland park that I visit so often provides a kind of oasis for so many different kinds of wildlife. There is something really exciting about seeing an animal or bird in its natural environment. I too noticed that this fox seems to be healthy and in good condition.
Oh definitely! I’m in what they call the “London Commuter Belt”. People actually commute to work in London from several hours train journey away but it’s only half an hour or so on the faster trains for us. I have lots of countryside around me though and even just on the outskirts of our local town the foxes living near the waterways and fields are noticeably bigger and bushier than the ones wandering through the town streets. Although I’m photographing lots of tropical butterflies at a butterfly house at the moment and absolutely loving it, nothing beats watching wildlife truly in the wild 🙂
That 1st one is an absolutely gorgeous shot Mike..Juts 2 days ago I had a very healthy looking fox in my garden.. I was outside at the time and no camera to hand, of course!.. it looked at me and I looked at it..for a minute or so before it ran off.. a beautiful site..
Thanks, Helen. Hopefully the fox will return again.
It returned this morning Mike.. a fleeting glimpse as it crossed the bottom of my garden ( it’s 150ft long and backs onto fields) at almost exactly the same time as the other day.. I can feel a stake out coming on !
[…] Fox on a frozen pond | Jan 31, 2016 […]
[…] to original postings: Visible Song (8 March 2016); Fox on a frozen pond (31 January 2016); and Rescue of an injured Bald Eagle (4 November […]
[…] under which they were captured. Links to original postings: Visible Song (8 March 2016) and Fox on a frozen pond (31 January […]
Gorgeous portrait, Mike. At least you got that before the battery quit. How frustrating about its timing though!
Batteries drain pretty fast when it is below freezing. I knew that and had one in a pocket, but couldn’t change it quickly enough to get more shots. I am happy that I made the shot count. 🙂