This was done with fountain pen in my moleskine sketchbook. I wanted to try out a frame like they used to create for book illustrations. This is after an illustration by Virgil Solis from 1563. I have changed it to make it more contemporary.
I love the song Blackbird by Paul McCartney. But, blackbirds are very territorial when they have young ones in the nest. There is a sunny tree-lined path I like to walk in the summer. I have seen a fox running out of those woods, a doe lying in the sun-drenched grass, and an irate couple of blackbirds diving at my head while I was peacefully walking by their nest of young ones. I had to start carrying a stick to ward them off. Blackbird Fly! Just stay away from me!
Canis latrans. Coyote. Something different than my regular Australian animals and plants. Much like the fox I always felt there to be something romantic about the nomadic wandering animals like the Coyote.
**Are Red Foxes Endangered?**
Currently, red foxes do not have such a status. The IUCN claims that the mammals’ population is stable and does not consider red foxes to be endangered. In fact, they also say that their highest population density is in the UK. Up to 30 red foxes per square 0.5km can exist. However, in the UK the red fox population has fallen by about 41% from 1995 until 2017.
There are several large threats to the red fox population, mainly habitat losses and fragmentations, plus exploitation and hunting. Habitat loss is the most serious of them all. Luckily for the species, they are very adaptable and can live in different conditions, which is also one of the reasons foxes have been regular visitors to urbanised areas and people’s yards. They come to look for food, which their natural habitat offers less of.
In the UK, there are some strict rules about dealing with foxes on your property and you can get a serious fine or even get jailed if you do not follow them.
This is a mushroom illustration done from Dana Fox's watercolor with me book. This one was quite the challenge but I am happy with the way it turned out.