That’s one item off the bucket list done!

Well, today was a momentous one for me.  I ticked one item off my bucket list - I saw a wild fox.

We had gone up to the University of York campus to take some macro photography and some shots of the cygnets and goslings. After a couple of hours the rain started (well it is Bank Holiday Monday!) so we retreated to the pub for lunch. The skies never seemed to recover, so after a wee glass of something warming we decided to head home. Walking by the main road on the campus I saw what looked like a silver backed jackel bounding down past the library heading straight for a speeding car. I couldn’t stop myself, I shouted to the car to slow down and waved my arms like a loony making husky sledding signals to the driver to slow down (I don’t think it worked). Thankfully the fox escaped unharmed, but ran headlong into a bunch of youths on their bikes who promptly declared “lets get the fox”.  That really got my blood pumping and before they’d even hand chance to mount their bikes I had taken off in a sprint unlike no other to try and find and protect the fox. I went one way, and Ali the other, desperately searching.

I found the fox soon enough and ran as fast as my legs would carry me, weaving in and around buildings, cycleways and into woodland, and somehow I managed to remember to change my ISO and exposure compensation mid sprint.  I managed to out-smart the fox a few times, the youths several more, and soon stopped in my tracks huffing and puffing to see the fox surrounded by bluebells in a small patch of woodland. Unfortunately all I had on me was the Canon EF 100mm macro lens, so there was no time or opportunity for close ups so I made do with what I had. My shots from today aren’t award winning by any means, but they mean the world to me as this is my first ever wild fox! So unexpected and so beautiful.