Red Fox and Corvids at a Carcass

Red Fox approaches the carcass. Magpies have all pulled away.

There was a deer carcass on the neighbor’s land this morning and we had been half-way watching it while we drank coffee and read. Some folks had reported seeing lions in the area, and we were hoping the carcass would bring them in. I was sipping my coffee when Laurie said “Hey! Come quick! There’s something tawny moving near the carcass!”

I ran over to the window. By the time I got there, the tawny visitor was gone. Only Ravens and Magpies remained. But maybe it would come back.

We set up the spotting scope in the back bedroom window, looking down across the field so that we could watch the carcass.

After fifteen minutes or so, a Red Fox trotted into view.

As the Fox approached the carcass, most of the Magpies and Ravens flew scattered. A few Magpies stayed behind, pulling at the carcass.

The Fox trotted at them, and those Magpies scattered as well.

One of the Magpies gets too close, Fox chases him off.

Magpies flutter away as the Fox glares at them.

After he’d pushed all the Magpies off the carcass, the Fox got to work pulling and tugging at the meat. Eventually he worked a gobbet of meat loose. Then he trotted off to the Northeast, holding the meat in his jaws.

I’m assuming he’d gone off to eat the meat in peace, away from the squabbling birds.

Fox eats at carcass. He’ll eventually work a large piece of meat free and carry it away to eat in peace.

After the Fox left, the Magpies and Ravens came back. The  Magpies went right to the carcass, while the Ravens hung back, squabbling in the shade.

Carcass returns to the birds. Magpies are perched on it as Ravens squabble in the shade.

The Ravens squabbled so much that I wonder if they did not have a big scrap of meat back there. Look how closely the two Ravens on the left are watching the other Ravens argue. Gathering Corvid gossip, I imagine.

Raven squabbles continue. As I look at this photo, I wonder if the Ravens have a bit of meat back there and are arguing over it.

What a pleasant way this was to spend a Sunday morning.