Photo Excursion:

Kit Foxes at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge Smyrna Delaware

It was a busy day for us in Smyrna, with 7-8 location shoots for an upcoming feature on the town. But Smyrna always means a side trip to Bombay Hook, and today we hit it at dawn and at dusk.

It was a full refuge, with over 50 bald eagles as well as our barred owl buddies, a beaver, scores of egret and heron and even a few wild turkey. But we were trying to get baby screech owl shots, and as the sun started to set it was clear that wasn’t going to happen. I (Joe) was sitting at small parking area responding to emails when he noticed two baby foxes playing just feet away. I grabbed shots of them wrestling and jumping on the bike rack, and followed behind them as they moved across the street into a ditch near the exit to the refuge. I sat in the grass just off the road and photographed them in peak golden hour light. Other cars noticed, and soon there were a dozen or so others watching the action. The foxes seemed oblivious to the attention, eating their (nasty muskrat) dinner, and generally playing like puppies. The posed, and bounced around, kissed and rested in what was clearly their den. There were 4 in total that surfaced. And then as I was shooting a closeup of one fox, another bounced off my lap, startling me. It wanted to play. I gave it some space and it went back with the others. Clearly a little too close. But magical as well.

Two fox kits playing at Bombay Hook Monday evening.

A photo posted by Joe del Tufo (@joedeltufo) on May 18, 2016 at 4:24am PDT