Red Fox Family on the Tuolumne River

Be warned: cuteness alert. I was out on the Tuolumne Parkway Trail this afternoon, checking things out after more than two inches of rain in two days. It was sunny and lots of birds were out and about, but just before I got to the end of the trail, I saw something I've never seen before: a fox family.

I've seen foxes a number of times over the last three years. One fox that I photographed early on was actually used on the interpretive signs for the trail. I could never figure out from year to year if I was looking at a family or not because I never saw more than one at a time.

I haven't seen the foxes for many months now, and I was worried that they might have moved on (silly me). Finally in the last few weeks I've noticed an acrid odor that I suspect was related to the foxes, so I've been watching the grass and shrubs much more carefully. Today, though, I came face to face with the one in the first picture above. I couldn't distinguish the size very well, but I noticed the shorter face and realized it was a pup. A moment later a second head popped up! I didn't get a good shot of both of them at once before they disappeared into their den. It occurred to me that momma must be around somewhere, and then I realized she was in plain sight up on the log above. As you can see in the photos, she was very nervous about me (she could barely stay awake, actually). I've seen momma in previous years; she was wounded in one eye, giving her a distinctive appearance

Red Foxes are one of the most widespread carnivores on the planet, being found across the northern hemisphere. The populations in California are a mixture of native and non-native individuals. The rarest is the Sierra Nevada Red Fox, which is only found in the northern Sierra and southern Cascades at high elevations. It was recently sighted in the vicinity of Sonora Pass, north of Yosemite. The populations in the Central Valley were thought to be escapees from fur farms, but recent work has determined that the valley north of Sacramento has an endemic population. There seems to be little if any information about native Red Foxes in the south valley. There is a native species, the Gray Fox, which I have seen once or twice along the river. There is also the rare and endangered San Joaquin Kit Fox, which I have never seen.

I hope I'll have a chance to watch them grow up!

Watching Foxes Along the Tuolumne River

Yes, Geotripper has been missing in action for a week or so. It's the end of summer and the start of a new semester in the academic trenches, so blogging took a back seat to other things. I should soon be back to writing and finishing the Hawai'i series, and the fall field trips will kick in pretty soon. In the meantime, I've been keeping up with the evening walks along the Tuolumne River Parkway Trail, and tonight was a bit special. For weeks, I've been seeing the evidence of the Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) along the trail, and glimpsed them a few times (I posted a few shots last month). It's generally been in the deep shadows of the evening, so it's been difficult to get nicely focused pictures. I'm always watching for them, and actually saw one far ahead on the trail tonight, but it saw me first and disappeared into the willows.

Walking back down the trail, I saw another fox before it saw me. I froze and finally had the presence of mind to try and catch some video instead of still photos, so enjoy watching a fox doing fox things in the twilight. It finally wandered on down to the river, and I headed back up the trail and home for dinner.

These last few days have provided some relief from the smoke palls that have hung over the valley. Some of the horrific wildfires are still burning, but there has been a subtle change in the wind direction, so we've had some beautiful clear evenings. The Tuolumne River is a special place in the twilight.

The Importance of Green Zones in Urban Settings (and a Fox)

I've occasionally noted the presence of a river trail in our community at the boundary of the Sierra Nevada Mother Lode and the Great Valley. It follows a stretch of the Tuolumne River for two miles, allowing access to the river for fishing, hiking, riding, floating, and wildlife watching. It was constructed in the past year, and it has been a wonderful addition to our community. I've spent much of the last two years documenting the bird species seen along the trail (search "Tuolumne River" on my other blog Geotripper's California Birds for examples). I've found 55 species so far, but there are many more to be found.

There are many reasons that a trail like this is a valuable addition to a community, but one of the most important in this instance is that there are three schools within easy walking distance of the river. The kids of our community are starved for good science education, and the adjacent river is an incredible resource. There are already programs being conducted through the auspices of organizations like the Tuolumne River Trust.

I was out walking this evening at sunset, something I've been doing almost every day this summer (when I've been home, anyway). I've seen the birds, ground squirrels, river otters, and once in a great while I will see one of the foxes that live by the river. There are two kinds, the Gray Fox, and the Red Fox. Tonight's sighting was a Red Fox. There is a small patch of grass under some Redwood trees at the water treatment plant at the midpoint of the trail, and in the distance I could see a stump that I didn't remember seeing before. The camera zoom revealed the "stump" to be a fox lounging in the grass. We watched each other for a few moments, and the fox wandered into the brush.

Only the Gray Fox is native to the area. There is a Red Fox species, the Sierra Nevada Red Fox, but it is exceedingly rare and extremely unlikely to be found at low elevations. The Red Foxes of the Great Valley were escapees from fur farms and animals brought from back east for hunting purposes. They have been causing problems in some areas as they are hunting endangered species who have no natural defenses to their hunting tactics. To the best of my knowledge they are not having that kind of impact in this area. But darn if they aren't cute...

There was another upsetting development. Sometime between yesterday morning and this evening, a fire burned along a section of the trail, scorching perhaps an acre or so of grass. It burned way too close to some mature oak trees, but thankfully they don't seem to be damaged. I can't tell if the fire started at the base and moved up the hill, or the opposite, but it's disturbing that it happened. I don't like thinking that an arsonist is among us. The trees along the river are a precious gift.