On Saturday we woke to a proper covering of snow. The feeding station was surely going to be hectic, but unfortunately we weren’t going to be there to see it. First destination was Thirsk Racecourse, for the Northern England Raptor Conference. Lots of interesting talks, and a fascinating flock of Jackdaws and Rooks which spent the best part of seven hours displaying and chasing around just outside the window of the conference room, tumbling in the icy-cold, strong breeze. Then it was off to visit family in West Yorkshire. This morning there was even more snow, and plenty of Chaffinches, Goldfinches and Blue Tits. The journey home after lunch was thankfully not plagued by any adverse weather; in fact, it was a beautiful afternoon. So, we decided to make a brief detour to check a herd of Roe Deer not too far from home. They weren’t where we expected them to be, but something was moving through the long grass…then it leaped in the air before dropping out of sight again; a strong healthy-looking fox, complete with white-tipped bushy tail. We watched it for over half an hour as it crept backwards and forwards, melting in and out of our vision. Then, in the next field, we found the deer. At least two could be seen, watching us from among the waving grass stems, although there have been as many as eight at that site recently. As the sky darkened and the last rays of daylight faded we completed our journey back to home, a warm bath and a mug of hot chocolate.