The last few days, the repeated snow flurries have created perfect conditions for seeing tracks, at least when the wind hasn’t been up.  The barnyard is a veritable highway: skunk, dog (or coyote), cat, and possibly fox.  The latter was finally proven this morning. 

I happened to look at the window at the field, about an hour after dawn to see a fast moving shape halfway down the field.   Clearly no cat, this!  Big fox, beautiful bushy tail, those long legs, and the ears.  The shape is distinctly different from a coyote.  He (or she) was getting pushed about a bit by the wind; but was definitely heading somewhere.  They checked out a possible mouse and then headed down the field before ducking into the hedgerow, about where there is a break in the stock fence. 

If I hadn’t been looking, I could have walked across the field afterwards and missed him.  He had no problem running on the top of the snow, which in that area is hard and the loose snow had blown away.  How much we can miss, and so easily!  It was nice to finally have visual proof of a fox.  A lot of people claim there is a large population* but I have only seen them twice in this area.  I have actually seen more of them, or of British foxes, in cities.

*which they usually blame for the loss of their chickens, cats, and yapping dogs…