ROE & ... POSSIBLE SNOW.

There's been a few things happening over the last few days, namely a change in the weather which has been dry and cold and with a forecast for possible snow. This morning saw the first really white frost since I've been here and there was ice on the tops of all the water butts. In the fields there were still obvious puddles in amongst the plough furrows, so if the temperatures drops the earth will turn from mud to almost rock hard lines. Late this afternoon ... the sky

<<< was of that strange pearlescent colour that could possibly see snow by overnight, but maybe not, we shall know come morning.  Yesterday, at this pre sunset time of day Ffin had a few surprises during our walk.

It was dusk when we headed out to the fenland beyond the village and in a stubble field we saw what initially looked like three large dogs racing around in a stubble field. The dog (though a collie) went to point (something gun dogs do). Basically that means pointing the nose in the direction of game, usually with one front leg slightly raised. It turned out that the three shadowy figures chasing each other were Roe deer hinds , clearly distinct in the dim dusk light, by their white rumps. They too were curious about us and came closer, sadly it was too dark by then for any decent photograph, so we walked on then turned along a field edge where there was a clearly distinct, non human footpath through the long grasses, alongside a deep, sedge filled dyke, it was totally pockmarked with hoof prints, that of Roe & Muntjac deer. Also between the two fields was a large swathe of wild grasses and it was amongst the tall, pale growth that the dog, unusually, started tracking.

Nose to the ground, feathered tail in the air he zig-zagged back and forth following some unseen source of scent, I was curious, as he has very rarely shown such interest except in foxes.  Suddenly ... just two feet in front of him a large male hare leapt out of the grasses and loped of, at a surprisingly leisurely speed across the rough ground. Ffin just watched him, seeming rather bemused, then looked at me as if to say ... "What was that?"

Over the other side of the main dyke there was an outburst of bird sound, pheasants, wood pigeons and from the deep water of the dyke, the sound of mallards almost laughing.

Today, in the late afternoon it was comparatively quiet, just a sky with a hint of snow.

Well ... we shall see what happens overnight. you never know what you will wake to.