My foxes are back, and wow are they adorable!

Last year a fox family took up residence in a den some 50 feet from a window. To my delight, they’ve returned this year with a new generation of babies. Oh, the cuteness! And those baby fox eyes! To say nothing of the way the siblings frolic. But it’s not easy to get a good shot of these tiny munchkins. (Jump to the photos.)

The babies themselves aren’t all that skittish, but the parents are. The mother notices me even if I’m inside behind a closed window. And the moment she senses danger, she warns her kids to scamper to shelter. So I have to sneak slowly around my own house and cover my face with my camera as I approach the window. But that’s the easy part.

The hard part is opening the window without scaring the foxes.

It’s also the dangerous part.

That’s because once the window is open, all manner of flying insects might invade my house. But yesterday as the sun was drawing low in the sky I saw an opportunity that demanded a clear view. So, taking my life into my hands, I inched the window open. Slowly. Carefully. Trying to be both quiet and efficient. Hoping I wouldn’t spook the foxes.

And sure enough, a fly flew right into my room. And I’ll bet a mosquito snuck in as well. (And let me tell you this: people who think they don’t let small things bother them have never slept in a room with a single mosquito.)

But I got the shot:

Worth the risk, wouldn’t you say? Here are two more:

And there will be others. So look out. You’re going to be seeing a lot more animal adorableness from me in the next little while. [Update: Here are some more shots: OMG The Cuteness… And The Drama!]