After checking the camera, we kept walking, and K moved with happiness and speed, so fast that she blurred in my camera lens. She's still an intense dog.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Robins, foxes, and a dog
We headed out for our morning hike in spring-like weather. The frost from yesterday seemed like a distant memory as I rapidly overheated in the hot sunshine.
As we walked, hordes of Robins chirped and fluttered all around us. For the first time in months, the forest felt truly alive.
The robins were moving so fast that I had a tough time capturing a photo but I caught a Robin or two sitting still in the sunlight. Robins are such a classic sign of spring that I was thrilled to see them!
K seemed to find the forest fascinating. She repeatedly lifted her nose into the air to catch wafts of scents. Her nose and the tracks in the snow told me that other animals besides Robins were returning to our forest.
Based on K's behavior, I decided to check a wildlife camera. I discovered that a red fox had visited and even tried to climb a tree in view of one camera. I've read that gray foxes (but not red foxes) can indeed climb trees, and I found a Youtube video of one climbing. Our little red fox didn't get any higher than in the photo below.
When he came down from the tree, he looked at the camera's soft red glow.
Red foxes are not as common as coyotes in our neck of the woods so I was thrilled to see this little fox, even though we couldn't see his lustrous red coat due to the "infrared" flash used by most of my wildlife cameras.
After checking the camera, we kept walking, and K moved with happiness and speed, so fast that she blurred in my camera lens. She's still an intense dog.
We found warm and sunny enclaves in the forest in where it truly felt like spring. K settled in to forage on the kinnikinnick that is emerging from under the melting snow. Some berries still hung from the ground covering shrub, and K loves them (and they're fine for her to eat). So, K nibbled her way through our hike. She's lying in kinnikinnick in the photo below.
Sometimes, after our hikes together, I am convinced that K views the entire world as one big eating opportunity - a huge kitchen! I think that she may welcome spring for different reasons than I do.
After checking the camera, we kept walking, and K moved with happiness and speed, so fast that she blurred in my camera lens. She's still an intense dog.
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K and I are alike - always in search of the next meal! Love seeing those Robins. I'm in Denver - it's spring here!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shots, as always!
ReplyDeleteThat fox's coat is looking pretty plush!
'round here they've been alittle scraggly looking (perhaps due to our mild winter this year?).
What a change from the icy scenes before. K looks so very happy lying in the sun that it makes me smile. Great photograph of the Robin. I'm not sure I've ever seen one perched in a tree.
ReplyDeleteAnd so we both advance to play round ball another day.
The whole world IS one big eating factory, isn't?? I didn't realize foxes were so big. Our new neighbors have told that there is a fox who occasionally appears in our yards, but we have yet to see him.
ReplyDeleteYour pal, Pip
Another post to make us smile!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful as always. MOM took photos of robins today as well. Oh and a hawk that hangs out at our church. He's a big guy, a red tail hawk I believe. He watch me real close when I am sniffin stuff below his perch.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Goose
So now I need to know why a fox would climb a tree.
ReplyDeleteI love the picture of K breathing in her surroundings.
I know it is like reading a book to them. There are so many stories to be told in the wind.
We see everything as a kitchen too K. Beautiful hike. Wish I had your sniffer for a day
ReplyDeleteBenny & Lily
Funny, I was just talking about red and gray fox, and how the red don't climb trees with friends this afternoon. We are seeing the beginning of spring here too, it's so nice. K is looking great!
ReplyDeleteIts been in the 20s here, but supposed to reach 46 tomorrow which maybe we can thank you guys for!
ReplyDeleteOur girl is looking wonderful and full of beans! I hope she stays that way.
Cheers and hugs,
Jo, Stella and Zkhat
Beautiful as always. Don't all dogs look at an outing as an adventure to sniff or eat?
ReplyDeleteCindy
Looks like a lovely day!
ReplyDeleteAlthough, I thought everybody viewed the world to see where the next meal was coming from? Maybe that's part of my problem!
Jed & Abby are foraging, too, in the backyard. Maybe it's a spring thing - an instinct to eat even though they're not really hungry, left over from their wild canine ancestors coming out of the starving time of winter.
ReplyDeleteHope you're feeling better, and that K's days of grace last for a long, long time.
Jed & Abby
Great to see K looking so well. A true 'flying' dog . Have learnt from the photos today that American Robins seem to be a different species to European ones .
ReplyDeleteI"m just like you, K - always searching for a free snack wherever I can find one!
ReplyDeleteLove ya lots,
Mitch
How the scenery is starting to change. What a lovely day.
ReplyDeleteK is looking fabulous.
Have a great weekend
Big Nose Pokes
The Thugletsx
Another beautiful day for you both. We throughlly enjoy "our" hikes with you and K.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Lily Belle
Your blog is so gorgeous .... the stunning pictures and your ability to capture your love of the mountains and your beautiful companions. We lived in Golden 10 years ago and desperately miss the mountains and our Westie who loved the hiking trails.
ReplyDeleteAs a novice photographer, trying to learn, what camera and lens do you use to capture that amazing world around you.??
Your K is a beautiful dog, wonderful photos. Neat shots fro,=m your wildlife cam. I enjoyed visiting your blog, have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteHow DO you capture those beautiful bird photos? Simply amazing! I, too, have often thought that Sammie, particularly, views our outings as an all-day buffet! (Avalon, as the perennial puppy, is more active and misses the tidbits in favor of chasing sticks!)
ReplyDeletexoxoxo
Sammie, Avalon and Mom
Great photos again from you. Red fox is common in Sweden. They take young roes and have decreased them. We hunt fox and they sometimes get a sickness....I dont know what its called in english. They loose the fur and scratches a lot...we must shoot them becuase they suffer a lot
ReplyDeleteWhat a time to treasure! K looks like she is in a magical forest!
ReplyDeleteLicks,
Ruthie
Isn't nature a magical thing - the difference from yesterdays frost to todays springlike photos is really astounding. How quickly it changes. K looks like she is taking it all in and enjoying every bit of it.
ReplyDeleteWe're seeing more and more Robins too, and the arrival of a snake confirmed that spring is here--However I've not yet seen our resident ground hog--It doesn't mean he's not around. But your pictures that I've missed this week are amazing and beautiful and perfectly showcase the changes this time of year!!
ReplyDeleteWe have robins here now, too, singing like crazy! It makes me smile to walk out the door and hear bird song.
ReplyDeleteHow can you tell it was a red fox and not a grey fox? I'd never heard that grey foxes could climb. That's pretty cool!
K looks lovely in that spring sunshine! I am still so disappointed that I didn't get out in ours today. I'm glad you're feeling better, because I'm certainly not!
Your forest is so alive and ready for spring! The photo you captured of the robins are soooo perfect!
ReplyDeleteWe can feel spring just looking at your photos! And definately in K's beautiful eyes. We love that photo of her running and them soaking in the sun rays!
love
tweedles
Your photo's exceed the joys of Spring and seeing K capture every moment gives happiness of new beginnings and scents.
ReplyDeleteYour photo's exceed the joys of Spring and seeing K capture every moment gives happiness of new beginnings and scents.
ReplyDeleteK-A-C-H-I-N-G....this eating opportunity rings a familiar bell in our world.
ReplyDeleteHi Y'all!
ReplyDeleteK is lucky she has no allergies to stop her from enjoying the emerging bounty. My Human constantly tells me "leave it".
I love blackberries, dewberries, gooseberries, huckleberries and wild blueberries that grow wild around here. I snitch whenever my Human isn't looking. Unfortunately she has her eye on me most of the time.
You go K! Yum, yum!
Y'all come by now,
Hawk aka BrownDog
You captured a great picture of a robin. A sure sign of spring! Yay! Love that last picture of K. :)
ReplyDelete