A scream in the night Foxes spend December through to February all loved-up, looking for mates. But males need to be on their toes as the vixen is only in season for a few days. When she does come into season, and she is close to a male, she will belt out human-like screams which echo through the night — a sound akin to someone being murdered! The male responds with a deep, dog-like ‘bow wow wow’ to keep in contact with her.

Busy underground Although the fox is one of our most easily spotted mammals, right about now they’re busy below ground. March through to May is the peak time for foxes to have their cubs in a safe den which has been sought out by the vixen. Usually four or five tiny, helpless cubs are born per litter, starting life both deaf and blind, and covered in a downy grey fur. At about four weeks old, the famous red of the adult colouring begins to grow through, their eyes turn from blue to yellow-brown and the young cubs start to get inquisitive about the outside world.

During March and April you may be lucky to see cubs playing near the den entrance, trying out their hunting skills by pouncing on unsuspecting earthworms or insects. By eight weeks, fox cubs have finished taking milk from their mother. And by September, this new batch of foxes are all grown up and making their own way in the world.

A matter of taste The red fox does not have a particularly picky diet, eating everything from rabbits and young hares, to bird eggs, earthworms, frogs, grasses and fruit. This variety gives young cubs plenty of opportunities for practising hunting and filling their bellies to fatten up for the harsher winter months that lie ahead.

Foxes are highly opportunistic, ready to take advantage of any sudden offering; they have even been seen leaping into the air to snatch down low-flying pheasants! They are also lured by easy pickings and discarded leftovers, so moving closer to us, into our towns and cities, has provided them with many new food sources, from turning over dustbins to dog food offerings.

Spotting a fox Foxes can be found all over Oxfordshire, but if you want a good chance of watching these beautiful creatures you need to sit quietly near an occupied earth in the early morning or late afternoon. Sydlings Copse, near Headington, Ardley Quarry, near Bicester, and the aptly named Foxholes, near Shipton-under-Wychwood, are just a few of BBOWT’s nature reserves in which you are likely to spot foxes. Find out about our reserves at www.bbowt.org.uk