This fox really didn’t expect his New Year’s Eve photos to go…

This fox really didn’t expect his New Year’s Eve photos to go online…

Meet Notch, a surprise nocturnal visitor to the beach at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. A night vision camera spotted him prowling along the shore on New Year’s Eve, at 10:28 p.m. Notch is a red fox, named for the notch in his right ear. Red foxes are most active at night or at twilight. While sometimes regarded as pests, red foxes are very good at controlling rodent populations and spreading seeds because they’re omnivores. Thanks to Karen and Nancy McDonald for setting up the night vision cameras!