Island fox encounter

I could have fed and petted "Jasper," as the Catalina Island Company employees called him.  I didn't and it wasn't because he was being treated for a nasty case of fleas by biologists.  The more accustomed island foxes become to hanging around us for snacks, the more likely they are to come into contact with our vehicles and pets.  This often ends poorly for the foxes. 

Watcha got?!

No, you may not have anything he’s having.

Catalina ground squirrels and a pair of common ravens both helped themselves to what was left of other animals’ breakfasts.

A common raven was eying a piece of bread that was shared tenderly with their mate.

Hello again!

Good, you’re foraging at least somewhat away from the lodge.

This warry fox didn’t want to be watched and made haste.

The Catalina Island quail have good reason to be alert.

The aloof fox trotted up the hill with at least two quail hatchlings and disappeared into the vegetation, perhaps to feed a young family of their own.

I’ll never forget meeting you. I hope you live a long and healthy life.

***

Through the curtains toward Catalina Harbor at twilight

Yeah, I'm talking about island foxes again...

I have educated guesses about good spots to watch for island foxes on various California Channel Islands. Not unexpectedly, they're creatures of habit to some extent like our mainland bobcat and coyote neighbors. I sat down low on the slope by Banning House Lodge hoping to capture a Catalina Island fox with my 100-400mm lens. When one padded through, there were quite a few people up top eating and drinking in the courtyard which is a shared space for guests to come and go as they please. It didn't take long for some of them to start squealing at the cuteness and conjecturing about what it was. "I thought foxes are black." What? "Oh, look! It's a baaaby!" Nope. "Is it going to come up here and give us rabies?" [sigh] Someone spotted me photographing this charismatic apex predator and tried to shush their crew, but the fox was already on its way down the hill, quite understandably wanting nothing to do with us unless we’ve left food out. If you know me, you're likely aware that my brand of polite in public is a smile and a "hey" before we go on about our respective business, me as quickly as possible. Public speaking is my idea of living hell and I don't enjoy being in large groups, particularly when observing nature, but the comments I heard inspired me to walk up the hill. The intensity of my fox watching was noted by a table of people and I proceeded to present Island Fox Natural History 101 which I only feel somewhat qualified to deliver due to lots of reading, attending online seminars about them and a growing bit of first hand observation. I wrapped things up with the suggestion that they do an Internet search for Friends of the Island Fox if they want to learn more about its life history and ongoing studies and conservation efforts. Hopefully even one of them will follow through with that and maybe even throw a couple of bucks for research said organization's way.

coastal pricklypear (Opuntia littoralis)

Catalina California Quail (Callipepla californica catalinensis)

Looking toward the California mainland past Ship Rock. Word on the street is that it’s a good spot for seeing larger great whites than the juveniles I’ve seen in San Diego.

I hung out inside this bait ball on one of my swims which is always a magical experience.

An old man wishing for younger days .

Hopefully see you again soon, fox.