Foxes in Yellowstone's snowy winter.

Whilst the coyotes proved very obliging the number of foxes we encountered on this trip was far lower than on my last visit. It is easy to speculate but the truth is I had no idea why. Things, particularly wildlife, can change dramatically from one place to another and one season to the next, and often the reason is so subtle that only extensive research would elicit it.

Not only were the foxes incredibly scarce, we never witnessed a single hunting jump, that iconic foxy behaviour that is so photogenic.

However, saying all this, the two encounters, particularly the second were superb and allowed a serious effort in producing a delightful range of images. The second fox seemed incredibly non-plussed with our scampering down the road to get ahead of it and work with it as he walked slowly towards us. It is these brief encounters that are so rich that makes all the waiting and searching so worth while.