Fox photo by Weather Network viewer wins national contest

Wednesday, December 2, 2015, 5:57 PM - Nova Scotia resident, Weather Network viewer and talented photographer Ian Murray has taken one of the top spots in the 2015 National Wildlife Photography Contest, held in the U.S. by the National Wildlife Foundation.

"I've been visiting this fox family on a neighbour's property for a few years now," Murray, who regularly uploads his  photos to theweathernetwork.com, tells The Weather Network via email.

"He called me and said: 'hey, I have a fox family making their home over here, do you want to come over and maybe get some good photos?' I have been a frequent visitor ever since."

Murray's playful photo won in the 'baby animals' category.

According to Murray, the mom in the image raised five kits near the Wallace River this year.

"The best times are when mom calls the babies out from their den to spend some 'mom time,'" he says.

"The fun that happens then is so awesome to watch. The kits come out and it's play time. They zoom around the den area lightning fast, so fast it's hard to get good shots. By mid summer, they are comfortable having me sitting there close by, in plain view, taking their pictures. I have to stress that getting them comfortable with me, yet keeping enough of a distance to recognize that they are wild animals and letting them learn to live their lives as such, is important for any photographer to remember."

Murray photographed the kits weekly between May and July.

"By mid-August, they start wandering farther afield, and they may and may not be around when I visit. Gradually they all disappear off into their big new world. One of them will return to the den in the spring to raise another family. You can bet I'll be there to see another family grow up," he says.

Visit Facebook and Twitter to see more of Ian Murray's work.