Out of the corner of my eye I detected some movement on the ground as I was looking up at an eagle nest early Thursday morning at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. As I turned my head, a shadowy form emerged out of the brush and began to trot down the trail—it was a Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes).
I do not see foxes very often at this refuge and have been told that most of them have been killed by the resident coyotes, so this was a pleasant surprise. I tried to focus on the fox as it moved away from me, but my photos were mostly out of focus and featured only the legs and tail of the fox. Then the fox stopped and looked back in my direction for a moment and I was able to capture this image as we stared momentarily at each other.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
I love seeing foxes, Mike. We have some around here, but I’ve only seen them a few times. Thanks for sharing this.
what a gift Mike 🤓 spirit of the fox 💫☺️ have a joyful day ~ smiles hedy
Nice…both the experience and the shot. We see foxes around our neighborhood often but I’ve never managed a picture. A few years back a vixen set up housekeeping under a neighbor’s shed so we got to see the kits often but, again, I got no shots. Lucky you, Mike. 🙂
Thanks, Steve. Strangely enough I see a fox just as frequently in my neighborhood as in the “wild.”
Very cool! I swear the wildlife just know and love you. ❤
I so loved this story, Mike. The fox is a wily creature, and not always so accommodating, but for you and your camera, a special moment was granted. Thanks so much for sharing it.
A breathtaking capture of this gorgeous creature that are often seen as they roam the wooded area behind my home. Your last sentence brought to mind some words the Canadian animal rights activist, Anthony Douglas Williams, wrote : “Look at animals kindly, and they will see. Talk to animals gently, and they will listen.” I believe that you have mastered that art! Thank-you!
Wonderful. Shame you don’t get to see them often. We get a lot. We’ve had one visiting our garden, cheeky little thing, he thinks if he doesn’t look at you, then you can’t see him. My mum loved foxes and she regularly had a vixen and her cubs visit her.
Anyway, you have inspired me to write a poem about a red fox. I’m working on it now. 🙂
What a beauty 🙂
Great sighting, Mike, and experience. Glad he turned to give you a better a look and image.
I love the way the way the light hits makes the fox have a glowing edge, making his appearance almost magical looking, and the way that the colour of the surrounding foliage emphasise the warm hues of the fox’s coat set against the cooler tones elsewhere in the photo.
I am sorry to read about the fox population in that area. I am not anti-coyote (all animals have a place in their ecosystems – though I’d be cool with mosquitoes going extinct) but I have a fondness for foxes. We have a family of foxes in our neighbourhood that pad around our property. I often see them very early in the morning though I have not yet managed to get a decent photo.
How cool! Great photo and an awesome story to go with it.
Very nice Fox image Mike! They are fun photo subjects! At my old home I had a Fox that would sometimes watch me as I was cutting the lawn with my tractor!
Lovely image, Mike, the halo of sunlight around it is esp. magical.
Thanks, Eliza. When the sun is still pretty low in the sky, you sometimes get that kind of backlighting that causes the subject to glow like that. It is a cool effect, though in this case, it was mostly luck, since this was a reactive, point-and-shoot kind of shot. 🙂
A moment of connection is worth all the rest, and it’s great that you were ready for this lovely moment.
It definitely was a wonderful moment that we were able to share. I try to be as ready as I can to react when opportunities present themselves. That’s one of the reasons why I try to shoot as much as I can–it helps to hone the reflexes and familiarize me with the camera’s settings and capabilities.
Love the colors on this beauty!
Thanks, Kathy. The colors of the fox were amazing and the rest of the scene combined to make the fox glow, both literally and figuratively.
It’s always exciting to catch a glimpse of a fox! They are such beautiful animals, with their orange-red coats and beautiful bushy tails. This one seems to be looking at you and smiling secretly. Great catch!
Thanks, Nina. One of my all-time favorite photos out of the thousands I have taken was of a fox on a frozen pond (https://michaelqpowell.com/2016/01/31/fox-on-a-frozen-pond/). Encounters with foxes are always special to me.
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