Threatening

On the left, just out of shot, is Hazel. But the incident does not begin there.

A short time earlier, from the dining table, we saw a fox cub emerge from beneath the hedge, closely followed by the cat-next-door, N, who was chasing the cub, which ran up the border then sat down (see extra). The two watched each other warily from a distance.

Next an adult fox appeared at the end of the garden to see what was happening, told the cub to go home and started down the border towards N, who, being the coward he is, slunk away back to the hedge.

But who is this hero, dashing over from under the bench to rescue N? Why, it's Hazel, who has more bravado than sense, taking on an adult fox, who, in return, stood fast in full threat mode (main picture).

The standoff broke up because, besides taking photos, I was thinking out loud 'Hazey, don't be so stupid', at which the fox retired and peace reigned once more.

This is not the first time that N has had an altercation with the fox cubs; they are growing fast and, one of these days, he may regret it.

The difference in resolution between the photos is due to the different camera settings which I managed to change mid-action. I recently acquired a second-hand TZ30 with its 'through glass' setting, perfect for this occasion.