Comments on: Mystery Solved http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2009/10/23/mystery-solved/ A Bird Blog with Kate St. John Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:53:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: Paula http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2009/10/23/mystery-solved/comment-page-1/#comment-9503 Paula Tue, 11 May 2010 20:22:26 +0000 http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/?p=11389#comment-9503 Thank you☺ Thank you☺

]]> By: Kate St. John http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2009/10/23/mystery-solved/comment-page-1/#comment-9502 Kate St. John Tue, 11 May 2010 19:13:19 +0000 http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/?p=11389#comment-9502 You don't need to worry about your kids or dogs or cats. Foxes hunt alone and are looking for rodents, bird nests or whatever is smaller than they are & easy to pounce on. Foxes avoid people and dogs -- for good reason, people use dogs to hunt them! -- and cats avoid foxes. The fox also avoids attacking cats because he doesn't want a meal that will injure him & he knows that cats have teeth and claws. When we had a fox in my neighborhood I went outdoors to look for it and noticed that as the fox went through the woods the cats crept out of the woods ahead of it. The cats did not run from the fox in terror -- they just deliberately avoided the fox. I am sure your cats knew the fox was there long before you did and have been avoiding it in their own way for months. The fox will stop barking when it has no more to say about its territory. I am not sure how soon that will be. You don’t need to worry about your kids or dogs or cats.

Foxes hunt alone and are looking for rodents, bird nests or whatever is smaller than they are & easy to pounce on.

Foxes avoid people and dogs — for good reason, people use dogs to hunt them! — and cats avoid foxes. The fox also avoids attacking cats because he doesn’t want a meal that will injure him & he knows that cats have teeth and claws.

When we had a fox in my neighborhood I went outdoors to look for it and noticed that as the fox went through the woods the cats crept out of the woods ahead of it. The cats did not run from the fox in terror — they just deliberately avoided the fox. I am sure your cats knew the fox was there long before you did and have been avoiding it in their own way for months.

The fox will stop barking when it has no more to say about its territory. I am not sure how soon that will be.

]]> By: Paula http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2009/10/23/mystery-solved/comment-page-1/#comment-9501 Paula Tue, 11 May 2010 18:23:42 +0000 http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/?p=11389#comment-9501 What should we do we live in a farm area with 10 horses across the street and another horse farm right around the corner (these are small ones not like the Ky. ones) and from talking to the people next door they hear the fox but do not see it and we look right out our front door and it is right there. IThe only reason why it is bugging me is we have two small children, two inside/outside cats and a young dog she is on a lead rope or on a leash when we take her out side. None of us would ever try to disturb anyones den area. Should I contact a Ranger or something? Thank you What should we do we live in a farm area with 10 horses across the street and another horse farm right around the corner (these are small ones not like the Ky. ones) and from talking to the people next door they hear the fox but do not see it and we look right out our front door and it is right there. IThe only reason why it is bugging me is we have two small children, two inside/outside cats and a young dog she is on a lead rope or on a leash when we take her out side. None of us would ever try to disturb anyones den area. Should I contact a Ranger or something? Thank you

]]> By: Kate St. John http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2009/10/23/mystery-solved/comment-page-1/#comment-9494 Kate St. John Tue, 11 May 2010 13:56:30 +0000 http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/?p=11389#comment-9494 Foxes bark to claim (and keep) their territory and they repeat the call day after day to get the message across. Maybe this fox has a den or kits somewhere near your house. Foxes bark to claim (and keep) their territory and they repeat the call day after day to get the message across. Maybe this fox has a den or kits somewhere near your house.

]]> By: Paula http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2009/10/23/mystery-solved/comment-page-1/#comment-9492 Paula Tue, 11 May 2010 13:32:43 +0000 http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/?p=11389#comment-9492 The last few weeks around 11:30p.m. -12:00a.m. maybe even a little earlier in the morning there has been a Red Fox standing near our front garden gate barking a lot. This Fox has done this motion severl times over these last two weeks it is in the same spot everytime. Why? The last few weeks around 11:30p.m. -12:00a.m. maybe even a little earlier in the morning there has been a Red Fox standing near our front garden gate barking a lot. This Fox has done this motion severl times over these last two weeks it is in the same spot everytime. Why?

]]> By: Cory DeStein http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2009/10/23/mystery-solved/comment-page-1/#comment-8747 Cory DeStein Sun, 07 Mar 2010 01:03:37 +0000 http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/?p=11389#comment-8747 I have seen more foxes in Pittsburgh this year than any other year. In the past 2 months I have seen them in Bethel Park, twice in West Mifflin and even crossing Beechwood Blvd!! They are booming! In areas without coyotes that is I have seen more foxes in Pittsburgh this year than any other year. In the past 2 months I have seen them in Bethel Park, twice in West Mifflin and even crossing Beechwood Blvd!! They are booming!

In areas without coyotes that is

]]> By: Kate St. John http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2009/10/23/mystery-solved/comment-page-1/#comment-8546 Kate St. John Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:37:53 +0000 http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/?p=11389#comment-8546 There's a good BBC video of a fox hunting in snow, highlighted on the Sierra Club's On Track blog at: <a href="http://connect.sierraclub.org/post/OnTrack/crazy_video_of_fox_hunting_in_snow.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://connect.sierraclub.org/post/OnTrack/crazy_video_of_fox_hunting_in_snow.html</a> There’s a good BBC video of a fox hunting in snow, highlighted on the Sierra Club’s On Track blog at:
http://connect.sierraclub.org/post/OnTrack/crazy_video_of_fox_hunting_in_snow.html

]]> By: Kate St. John http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2009/10/23/mystery-solved/comment-page-1/#comment-8296 Kate St. John Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:30:51 +0000 http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/?p=11389#comment-8296 November 3 at 11:49pm: Clear sky, moon on the wane. I saw moonlight coming through an upstairs window and looked out to see the moon. Then I saw a critter walking up the back alley in an area I could easily see. The fox! She paused in clear sight and barked. Yay! November 3 at 11:49pm: Clear sky, moon on the wane. I saw moonlight coming through an upstairs window and looked out to see the moon. Then I saw a critter walking up the back alley in an area I could easily see. The fox! She paused in clear sight and barked. Yay!

]]> By: Kate St. John http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2009/10/23/mystery-solved/comment-page-1/#comment-8272 Kate St. John Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:01:31 +0000 http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/?p=11389#comment-8272 November 1: Full moon & clear sky tonight. After several days of silence the fox is barking a lot this evening. I went outside in the dark to see her but there was not enough light. I heard her trot by on the leaves in the valley of Magee Field & saw her shape. Bigger than a cat, smaller than a shepherd dog. Moves like a fox. Wish I'd had a better look. November 1: Full moon & clear sky tonight. After several days of silence the fox is barking a lot this evening. I went outside in the dark to see her but there was not enough light. I heard her trot by on the leaves in the valley of Magee Field & saw her shape. Bigger than a cat, smaller than a shepherd dog. Moves like a fox. Wish I’d had a better look.

]]> By: Libby Strizzi http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/2009/10/23/mystery-solved/comment-page-1/#comment-8244 Libby Strizzi Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:30:22 +0000 http://www.wqed.org/birdblog/?p=11389#comment-8244 I sent this blog to my son Richard, who lives in Scituate MA, and has almost tame foxes in his neighborhood. I asked him if he'd heard the same odd barking you describe. He said he did -- and now he knows why !! I sent this blog to my son Richard, who lives in Scituate MA, and has almost tame foxes in his neighborhood. I asked him if he’d heard the same odd barking you describe. He said he did — and now he knows why !!

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