February Update – Foxes, we got foxes!

Posted on 18. Feb, 2009 by Paul Burwell in Equipment, Everything, Locations, Monthly Updates, Techniques, Wildlife

Hello all,

I don’t know about you and where you live, but here on the frozen prairie I’m really starting to get antsy for spring. The days are finally getting longer and the sun has a lot more warmth than it had a month ago. But this is the time of year that really tests my patience as I anxiously await the arrival of spring.

My Winter Wildlife Photography Workshop at the Triple “D” Game Farm came off really well at the end of January. I think everyone had a great time and we had a really nice group of people. It was one of my most enjoyable workshops right up until the very last shoot when I slipped on a patch of snow-covered ice and ended up flat on my back. I didn’t do any permanent damage to myself but ended up with a large, basketball sized bruise that has gone through every colour phase you can imagine. I’m left with a somewhat sizeable contusion on my back (the spot that took the brunt of the landing) but the torturer I mean physiotherapist is making progress at making it go away.

We’ve still got a couple of spots open for my Spring Black Bear Photography Workshop in Manitoba. This workshop will let you safely get close enough to wild Black Bears to make some really compelling images. Additionally, we’ll spend mornings on safari into the park to see what other wildlife we can find.

Our June Triple “D” workshop is sold out with three people on the waiting list but I’ve still got a couple of spots open in my July and October workshops.

My last update featured some foxes I’d managed to find and this update continues that focus with some images from another fox den. The images in today’s update were made alongside a sparsely travelled secondary highway around Mayerthorpe in Alberta. On my first journey to find the fox den, I was treated to a spectacular thunderstorm that literally shook and rattled my vehicle while it was perched on the slope of the ditch alongside the highway. No foxes appeared that evening although I was reasonably confident I’d found the right place.

I ventured back a couple of days later. The foxes were nice enough to position their den so it caught the setting sun in the western sky. From my research I knew that it was unlikely that the foxes would be active during the heat of the day and that I’d have the best luck in the early morning or late evening. I timed my arrival for around dinner time and just before 8:00pm, the foxes made their appearance for the evening.

The fox den appeared to have a couple of entrances as is typical with foxes and of course I was first positioned at the wrong entrance. When the foxes made their appearance, I had to reposition my portable wildlife blind (aka vehicle) to the other den entrance for the young fox pups were gathering to play for the evening.

• Canon 1Ds Mark II, 1/1600th of a second at F7.1, 500mm F4L IS, ISO 400
• Evaluative meeting at -1/3 compensation to hold the white highlights
• Saddle-shaped bean bag support

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I love how the foxes colour matches the soil surrounding their den so well.  You can see I had a nice sunny evening and the light direction really worked well with the position of the den.  I was fortunate that where I was able to position my vehicle on the downward slope of the ditch next to their den allowed me to photograph them right at their eye level.

• Canon  1Ds Mark II, 1/1250th of a second at F7.1, 500mm F4L IS, ISO 400
• Evaluative metering at -1/3 to hold the highlights in the bright evening sun
• Saddle-shaped bean bag support

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There appeared to be a total of five Red Fox Kits but there were usually only four of them actually out and about at any given time.  Like most young mammals, these little critters were quite happy to engage in all sorts of play and wrestling.

• Canon 1Ds Mark II, 1/1250th of a second at F7.1, 500mm F4L IS,ISO 400
• Evaluative Metering at -1/3 to hold the white highlights
• Saddle-shaped bean bag support

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• Canon 1Ds Mark II, 1/800th of a second at F7.1, 500mm F4L IS,ISO 400
• Evaluative Metering at -1/3 to hold the white highlights
• Saddle-shaped bean bag support

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I love the look on the little foxes face in the following image that is having his nose chomped on.  I should point out that although the play was active and aggressive, I never heard a yelp or saw a fox get injured.

• Canon 1Ds Mark II, 1/250th of a second at F6.3, 500mm F4L IS,ISO 400
• Evaluative Metering
• Saddle-shaped bean bag support

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These fox kits were very cooperative subjects and I occasionally was able to make an image with three of them together.

• Canon 1Ds Mark II, 1/1250th of a second at F7.1, 500mm F4L IS,ISO 400
• Evaluative Metering at -1/3 to hold the highlights
• Saddle-shaped bean bag support

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• Canon 1Ds Mark II, 1/250th of a second at F6.3, 500mm F4L IS,ISO 400
• Evaluative Metering
• Saddle-shaped bean bag support

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I also got a couple of what I call “regal” images showing the animal standing or laying in a classic position.

• Canon 1Ds Mark II, 1/1000th of a second at F7.1, 500mm F4L IS,ISO 400
• Evaluative Metering at -1/3 to hold the highlights
• Saddle-shaped bean bag support

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• Canon 1Ds Mark II, 1/1250th of a second at F7.1, 500mm F4L IS,ISO 400
• Evaluative Metering at -1/3 to hold the highlights
• Saddle-shaped bean bag support

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This next image will give you a good idea of how the fox den was positioned alongside the slope of the ditch next to a farmer’s field.

• Canon 1Ds Mark II, 1/250th of a second at F5.6, 100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS @100mm, ISO 800
• Evaluative Metering
• Saddle-shaped bean bag support

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I’ll finish this update with a couple of images of these wonderful Red Fox Kits that are probably amongst my favourites.  It is always such a joy and privilege to be able to share a small part of life with these ingenious critters.  I was able to photograph these foxes right up to and past sunset (a total span of a couple of hours) and I really enjoyed myself.

• Canon 1Ds Mark II, 1/800th of a second at F7.1, 500mm F4L IS,ISO 400
• Evaluative Metering at -1/3 to hold the highlights
• Saddle-shaped bean bag support

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• Canon 1Ds Mark II, 1/1250th of a second at F7.1, 500mm F4L IS,ISO 400
• Evaluative Metering at -1/3 to hold the highlights
• Saddle-shaped bean bag support

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Unfortunately, I only had one session with these wonderful foxes.  I hadn’t found the den until later in the spring and they were close to moving out of their birthing den.  Because foxes often reuse their dens, I’m hopeful for the opportunity to make some more images this coming spring.  Assuming of course the snow ever melts.

That’s it for this update.  My next update will continue documenting the wildlife of the prairies.   I hope you enjoy the stories and photography as much as I enjoy making them.

Questions, comments and critiques are always welcome and encouraged.

Please contact me if you are interested in obtaining the rights to use one of my images or to purchase a fine art print.

Best regards,

Paul

The tools used to produce the photographs in this newsletter include cameras, flashes and lenses from Canon, flash bracket from Wimberley, tripod heads and lens plates from Really Right Stuff, gimbal tripod head from Jobu Design, camera bags  from Tamrac, filters from Singh-Ray, software from Adobe, Nik Software and PictureCode, the FJ Cruiser from Toyota and the SX4 Crossover from Suzuki.

Tags: cute, den, fox, Foxes, kits, Photography, red fox, vulpes, Wildlife, young