The Red Fox - Vulpes vulpes is one of our commonest native mammals however in the countryside of Cornwall views of this handsome animal are usually confined to fleeting glimpses of a lone adult crossing a distant field, the odd individual illuminated by car headlights, or perhaps, sadly, the unfortunate roadside casualties that pepper our main roads. So on the 1st day of July it was a real privilege to share the late evening sunshine with three young fox cubs near the village of Townshend.
The fox cubs were perhaps born in March/April and weaned by May/June, and were now enjoying a little independence away from the den.
Viewed from a portable hide at the edge of a grazed meadow the cubs were attracted in by a mix of peanuts & dog biscuits over a number of days and appeared regularly shortly after 7.00pm. I entered the hide a little before seven, set up my camera gear and settled down to wait for the main event. I watched the rabbits come & go, the corvids pinching the peanuts, marvelled at the backlit thistles, but had no sign of the fox cubs. However at 8.20pm the rabbits backed off and the corvids took flight as the foxes finally appeared stealthily circling at the edge of the undergrowth before the bravest of the three headed for the bait. At times they approached to within 10 metres of the hide and filled the frame. However with their bright eyes, erect ears and sharp muzzles, there was no doubt that this trio were alert. Two of the three cubs were disturbed by the sound of the camera shutter rattling off and retired to a safe distance, running back and characteristically pausing to look at the object of their alarm before retreating a little further. However the third cub was totally unphased by the chatter
of the camera, occasionally staring intently with a penetrating gaze before continuing with the more important business of eating the peanut bribes.
An indignant Magpie who had initially been displaced by the cubs tried to edge his way back to the food but didn't quite have the nerve to step into the sweet spot while his four legged rivals held sway.
After an hour or so of photography I had to spook the foxes so that I could leave the hide without them looking on, but it had been a great experience to watch these beautiful wild creatures at close quarters, an atmospheric summer evening that will live long in the memory.
Wind forward towards the end of the month and a visit to Chyverton Cornwall Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve near Zelah, a superb area of wet heathland encircled by 
an area of mixed woodland, home to a family of Sparrowhawks – Accipiter nisus. By late July at least two youngsters had fledged from the nest and one of them was repeatedly dropping down on to the quiet country road that leads to the reserve, sitting on the tarmac and providing an unexpected photo opportunity.
It appeared very much like the scene that sometimes unfolds when an adult Sparrowhawk has caught another bird during a low level swoop through the hedgerows before dispatching it’s prize in the middle of the road. Perhaps the youngster had witnessed it’s parent doing that and was mimicking the activity, but there was no prey or carrion involved on this occasion.
Adjoining the path into the reserve another juvenile was making short awkward flights below the dense canopy of holly at ground level prompting anxious calls from both parent and young. (Click on the sound bar below to listen to the young calling).
I passed by them as quickly as possible to avoid adding to their distress, taking up the challenge of photographing the diverse range of insects that occur in the reserve including the 16 species of dragonflies.
A month or two earlier in my own back garden at Godolphin Cross a group of 5 young Blue-tits – Parus caeruleus appeared to have fledged from their nest box staggered over a period of 19 days. Two had left the nest by the 4th May and, by the time the other three had fledged on the 23rd May, were looking decidedly adult next to their near flightless siblings. While the more advanced youngsters tried it on with their parents by buzzing their wings in that expectant way when food is on their minds,
the three youngest members of the family were in great peril having dropped from the nest box to sit motionless out in the open of the lawn as a cat walked by and unbelievably failed to see them. Thankfully as the adults drew attention away from that potentially tragic scene, the youngest members of the family walked to the relative sanctuary of the undergrowth of our unkempt borders before climbing up a concrete wall to safety!
Last but not least our landlords, the House Martins – Delchon urbica have successfully raised a brood having returned to their nest site under our eaves on the 18th April, a little earlier than of late.
My thanks are due to David Chapman ( www.davidchapman.org.uk ) who very kindly gave me the opportunity of photographing the fox cubs from his portable hide patiently setup over a number of days.
Click on the thumbnail below to view a gallery of more photos of the Fox cubs, Sparrowhawk, and Blue-tits.
Once loaded, if you hover your mouse over the gallery you will see text buttons two thirds of the way up each side of the image. Click on the left to go back to the previous image and on the right to go to the next image. To exit the gallery click on the cross at the bottom right of the viewer. 
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