The Startled Foxes & The Subtle Badger…
Exiting a tight, left bend upon Gate Lane,
At the edge of a grassy verge
Beneath a proliferating hedgerow, a fox,
Disturbed, its fearing eyes wide and shabby torso lean
Held between its jaws a gripped a rodent, large
Enough to trouble the predator and its intentions vex.
Momentarily though the fox vanished…
Approaching the entrance to a badger’s sett
At an extremity of a small, shady wood
Beneath an evening canopy, lurched a fox,
Stealthy, to scavenge scattered peanuts, but
Sensing human presence it flinched then fled,
My movements triggering its exit like a reflex.
Momentarily then the fox had vanished…
Emerging from a small hole in the undergrowth,
Beyond the beech trees to my left and shaded,
A head rose guardedly with the masked face of a badger,
Which foraged for food morsels shyly, yet subtly in truth.
Then it clambered from the rim of the sett and, goaded
Perhaps by the alluring aroma of a free meal, the cadger
Momentarily, suddenly and silently vanished…
Pete Ray
26th May 2023
Driving towards Knowle along Gate Lane, the rather skinny fox was clearly visible with its prey, before disappearing.
At Temple Balsall, a fox had been attracted to the peanuts I had laid down for the badgers to find but it was scared away by a sudden movement made by me.
The badger which soon appeared was a lovely sight, despite the fading light but it too quickly returned underground…
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