UKC

Saw a fox on the hill I was walking Saturday: second only 'hillfox' in all my walking. Beautiflc creature, all white and red / orange. I froze while it nosed its way towards me. It got quite close before smelling me (sun block) and scampering away up hill

Also saw: tiny frogs, crickets and, on the drive down a single track road to the start of the walk, a bird of prey on duty on a fence post. It flew off as I approached along the road but parallel, and very close, to the road and I matched it for a short time before it then settled on a telephone pole.

In reply to Flinticus:
Sounds a nice day. Wildlife certainly adds to a day out.
I've not seen a fox on a hill for 20 plus years but saw one on a glacier

Do hill foxes descend, or do they survive at altitude? The one I saw was a scraggly thing, not like the big, lowland ones that you see?

In reply to Flinticus:

I'm lucky enough to live in the Cotswolds and regularly see foxes, probably once a week. If I'm lucky I also see deer. Last week, while I was walking the dog, 3 deer jumped out of the bushes not 5 metres in front of me. I think they got a bit of a shock, the crops had just been harvested so their cover was gone so they had to run across open ground jumping in mid air as they went. Wonderful.

In reply to Flinticus:

Recent sightings when I've been running have included a red squirrel, a pine marten, and numerous deer. Less recently I've seen a stoat chasing a rabbit. I've never seen a fox when I've been out in the hills, although I do remember seeing fox tracks in the snow on the summit ridge of Mullach Fraoch choire.

Oh, and lots of buzzards and red kites.

The first hill fox I saw was on Sgurr Innse near the Grey Corries.

Of course, deer are as common as sheep on the Highlands so they don't register much anymore unless striking a pose or a particularly large herd on the move. The sound of the stags' bellowing is so evocative / unsettling.

In reply to Flinticus:

See the tracks routinely in the winter but I've never seen a fox on the hills. Nice spot.

In reply to Flinticus:

A couple of years ago I took a mate from work and his cousin for a walk on a very wintry Beinn Tulaichean and Cruach Ardrain from Inverlochlarig. They were kitted out with my spare axes and crampons. We came across a set of tracks in the snow. In authoritative fashion I told them they were made by a mountain Hare and went on to explain the back legs, front paws and direction of travel. They were suitably impressed. A wee bit further on we came across another set of prints. In true "Trapper Joak" style I informed them they were from a fox. "Do you get foxes way up here Joak?" they asked. "Och aye, there are hills named after foxes, Druim Shionnach, Sgurr a' Mhadaidh...blah... blah...blah" About thirty seconds later the true identity of the prints in the snow revealed itself as a very pleased to see us, tail wagging Heinz 57 variety wee black and white dog as it came bounding towards us, with it's owner in tow not far behind.
To say I then had "The pish ripped right oot me" is a monumental understatement!!

In reply to Joak:

Hahaha! Good story.

In reply to Flinticus:
I have only ever seen one hill fox... Unfortunately, it was being pursued by a pack of dogs and about 50 men some with shovels and a load of people down in the car park cheering it being chased. Sick sight and a dampner on that day.

I once came within about 5 feet of a huge upland otter at about 700m up a Lake District fell whilst wild camping. He popped out of an upland beck ran right across the ground in front of us and in to an other upland beck. Only time I have ever seen an otter in the wild, beautiful creature.