The North Downs are encased in ice. I've rarely known a British winter to be so cold for so long, but as the temperature plunges to -8C and all the meadows sparkle with rigid frost, the good times for fox watching return

I don't truly feel cold; I'm used to such temperatures - and far more frigid ones - in Canada, after all. But it does seem odd to see milky streaked clouds in the morning sky, and the dawn is coming each day in a eerie orange glow over the frozen fields, almost reminiscent of the true north. Snow is again forecast to be on the horizon



Even so, January offers some of the year's best opportunities for watching foxes in daylight. Foxes time their hunting activity to the movements of their rodent prey, and voles prefer to be active during the warmer hours at this time of year. Forty minutes outside this morning found me six foxes and, as always, I was struck by how different they all were. I feel that I've rather lost touch with what is happening out in the meadows over the past few months, so it was good to see a variety of foxes again

But the first seemed determined to push my lens to its absolute limit Travelling, rather than hunting, treading lightly across the frozen meadow, and keeping a fine distance away. Actually, 700 feet away, to be precise. I've just measured the distance on google maps This is a heavy crop!



The second was close by a barn, and showed mange on its face I often see foxes with slight mange in this area, and some of them just seem to live with it. I'll try to keep an eye on this fox over the next few weeks, but options for treatment here are quite limited.



The third fox, in contrast, looked in fine health, and was travelling swiftly up the road. It eventually veered off into the meadow where I watched the cubs last spring.



Number Four might be the largest fox in the village right now. He was, again, a long way off, and was also difficult to photograph...but I've never seen a brush as huge as his on any European fox before At least it will make him easy to identify at a distance



The last two were roaming around the frozen tussocks, keeping well within sight of each other. January is the foxes' breeding season so I assume that these two are a pair, although foxes are not strictly monogamous.




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If the foxes stole the show, other wildlife was hardly absent. Two young roe deer, probably twin siblings, were attempting to graze near a hedgerow.



Apart from grooming each other...



...they were licking the frosted fence wire, clearly thirsty.



These aren't the easiest conditions for most mammals. But those connected with humanity do, at least, get warm coats!