Return from the Night Patrol Friday 01:44 hrs CMT

Not too bad out there - quite mild, about 14C and breezy. Mr Cruisedog emerged from his below bunk bed bunker, Bertie, knowing that the Night Patrol always goes ahead, regardless of weather or illness ... It took longer than usual as Mr Cruisedog disappeared into the darkness on several sniffing errands and I waited patiently for him. Meadow Vixen was absent tonight but My Vixen was in her usual place after missing the previous night and wolfed down her food.
Got back inside and my back was drenched in sweat - will almost certainly feel worse later but we'll deal with it ..

Gratifying Night Patrol

Mr Cruisedog and I never know what we'll see each night we venture out onto the cliffs and seldom seen animal trails.
Tonight, for once, everything went like clockwork.
Meadow Vixen, recently recovered from a gunshot wound, waited for my call before emerging from the trees to take food by hand. As younger dog foxes closed in, she made threatening growls which stopped them in their tracks.
A mile away, My Vixen ran up in rather an agitated manner - a sure sign that badgers were close by. Mr Cruisedog confirmed this by bristling and leaning forward intently. My old friend the badger boar appeared out of the cliff top hedge and had to be placated with a hastily thrown banana. My Vixen took this lull in the 'action' to snatch her food and recede into the gloom.
The previous night, a sorry looking fox had appeared, with a badly swollen face and one closed eye - the victim of an attack by a larger and stronger fox. I hadn't been able to feed it as two other foxes had driven it off. However, tonight, things went much better for the injured fox. Instead of calling, Mr Cruisedog and I waited in silence for about twenty minutes and circling foxes lost interest and drifted away. All this time, the injured fox had been nearby, awaiting a chance to get food in safety. It moved out of the shadows and fed ravenously as we kept a lookout for other foxes.
All in all, a gratifying night ...

An extended Night Patrol

Mr Cruisedog and I had a long cliff top Night Patrol tonight. We hadn't seen My Vixen for four nights running and as the last time we had seen her she was limping, I was beginning to get worried for her well-being. Things were complicated when another old friend, the one-eyed badger boar approached while we were patiently waiting in one of My Vixen's usual spots. Mr Cruisedog doesn't mind foxes in the least but badgers are another matter - and he will lunge at them if they get too close. The old boar was hungry and kept getting closer, holding his head high and sniffing furiously (badgers have poor vision at the best of times and only having one eye wouldn't help) and it was difficult holding onto Mr Cruisedog. Eventually, after placating the boar with a piece of chicken and a digestive biscuit, he moved off and at that point, to my great relief, My Vixen ran up to us. No longer limping, she gobbled down her chicken and followed us for a few hundred yards as we continued on our rounds. With so much going on, time lost its meaning and I was surprised that we had been out for two hours.

My Vixen

... just got back from our Night Patrol and can report that My Vixen looks in remarkable condition considering the attack of sarcoptic mange which ravaged her coat last winter/spring. Her coat and tail have regrown completely and she is building up her fat reserves for the rapidly approaching winter. Also, Meadow Vixen seems to be fine after sustaining a very nasty wound to her flank a couple of weeks ago. There was a gaping hole in her side which looked suspiciously like a bullet wound and there was a real fear of infection getting in. However, with the much-appreciated aid from Derbyshire Fox Rescue, the wound has healed over and she took food from me a couple of nights ago (only appears two or three times a week). All in all, good news all round.

A bit of excitement tonight

... in the top meadow as I mistook a young dog fox for my Meadow Vixen and held out a piece of chicken, assuming that if it wasn't her, the animal would shy away ... but on this occasion, the young fox had a rush of blood and lunged forward to literally snap his jaws on the chicken. His teeth caught two of my fingers and I feared that he had broken the skin, but on inspection, I was ok. Most unfortunately, the old black Sanyo cam failed yet again and is now becoming most unreliable and will have to be replaced.
Earlier in the evening, I did manage to get a tiny bit of footage of the 'Ghost Litter' which I'll post next.

MEADOW VIXEN AND MY VIXEN

... both vixens showed up and the former took another antibiotic tablet. My Vixen was much more relaxed and took food gently and waited while I saw to the badgers.

Badgers and discipline do not go together and I'm having more and more trouble with them chasing the foxes to try and steal their food. If you run after a badger, they'll scuttle away but come back as soon as your back is turned whereas if you were to chase a fox, they'd disappear never to return ...

Chest now very sore and hopeful that tomorrow will finally see some improvement ...

The return of Meadow Vixen

A most gratifying and worthwhile cliff patrol with Mr Cruisedog and just reward for going out not feeling that good. Three nights ago, Meadow Vixen appeared with a gaping hole in her side - which looked suspiciously like a gunshot wound. There was little blood and she could run without limping. I immediately contacted Derbyshire Fox Rescue who sent me (by return post) antibiotics to tender in case of infection.
After being missing for three nights, she appeared tonight and the wound appears clean and on the mend.
My Vixen (much older animal) was also back after appearing very frightened and though still a little spooked, took food.

Breathing now quite laboured walking uphill and will see my doctor later today for antibiotics of my own for what is almost certainly a chest infection.

A most welcome return of My Vixen

... missing for some time, My Vixen appeared tonight to take food but was very nervous. Mr Cruisedog showed his usual discipline when a badger scuttled past him.

TONIGHT'S PROJECT UPDATE 00:05 Sunday 29 Aug

The Ghost litter turned up - but without adults so they never got within range of the static cam positioned in the hedge - darting in and snatching food thrown to them and off in a flash ... Rome wasn't .... though

Saturday Aug 28 - 21:00 hrs CMT
I'm going to try and get footage of the elusive 'Ghost Litter' later on this evening. A regular vixen comes to feed in my garden high up above the bungalow. She has a litter of about four - all of which are very light coloured like their mother. They are all small and I suspect arrived later than usual because of the sarcoptic mange outbreak last winter.

They rely heavily on their mother and one or two 'aunties' as if they approached other larger, stronger foxes, they would be attacked.

I'll set up the infrared cam and see if I can get a few shots of them - IF they appear, that is ...

A strange night

Neither Meadow Vixen - missing now for three nights - nor My Vixen - very rare as she's only missed three nights since early June ... showed up and the top meadow was eerily devoid of life.

There are several fox 'territories' within the environs of Maidencombe - some as small as a quarter mile apart, but there's a communication network much like our own telephone or internet system that joins all territories up. So if the 'word' goes out, all foxes (and sometimes badgers, who also pick up on the telegraph system) will disappear - where, even I or Mr Cruisedog know not ... I may fathom it out eventually, as I've only had experience of foxes and badgers for about 35 years ...

Running a slight temperature at present and retiring early as not 100 per cent ...

NOT TOO BAD

... out on the cliffs tonight - quite heavy drizzle but mild with light winds. Meadow Vixen appeared after a three night absence and My Vixen was waiting at her usual location ... her fur is growing back really well now and she should be able to withstand another winter now. Both vixens took food gently without snatching - a sign that they were unstressed with all around them. The old badger boar and his entourage of sows ambled up to their usual place and grazed contentedly on peanuts, digestive biscuits and bananas. All in all, a satisfying night for all of us ...

The cat and the pheasant

The pheasant family is back, but where's dear old Dad?

A young fox stops to stare

... Meadow Vixen takes food by hand and then a young fox looks over - trying to understand this strange human ...

PIGEON V MAGPIE V PHEASANT

... drama at Cruisedog Towers as a humble pigeon takes on all-comers for the rights to the seed tray ...

Meadow Vixen slow motion clip - early hours Mon August 16

... Meadow Vixen sees off a competitor for food in decisive fashion ... clip slowed down X2 to capture the charge