Although its an hour away we go to Burnham-on-Sea where the wide sandy beach stretches for over seven miles. I can let Easter get her head down, stretch her legs out and be able to cover some ground in a decent canter without stopping for gates, roads etc.
Family road trip over we return back to the land and wash the sand and sea water out of everything. Woody went for a walk to check the fences and shouted for me to come and look at something.
On top of the rock pile, curled up in the bracken was a young vixen, she was skinny but otherwise in lovely condition. We're not sure how long she had been there or what she died of as there was not a mark on her (apart from her eye was missing!). She looked as though she had found a dry, safe place out of the wind and just laid down.
Woody and I love our animals both our own pets and the wildlife around us so we were both quite moved when we found the fox. It's a mystery as to how she died; poisoned? Starvation? Exposure? Parasites even, maybe she had even been living with a shot wound before succumbing to sepsis.
It is understandable that people want to keep fox numbers down when they can cause such huge amounts of damage, killing stock, wrecking fences and spreading mange. Our neighbors had all but one of their ducks killed recently and the lambing season is on its way.
Foxes are such enchanting creatures, it is a rare treat to catch a glimpse of them out in open farmland usually because we are always so busy dashing about. If only we could all get on. The reality is that in spite of mans help or hindrance the countryside has always been a beautiful battle ground and war goes on between natures species on a daily basis, leaving only the fittest to carry on another day.
Sweet dreams little Valentine Vixen.
No comments:
Post a Comment