I had a walk round the Durham City woods this morning and the ground was rock hard with frost and light snow. On the River Wear I saw a huge Heron, then further up a Goosander, 200 m from there in the woods I heard a drumming sound above me and there was a Greater Spotted Woodpecker, walked another 500 m, extremely excited, saw what I thought was a Waxwing, then knew it wasn't a Fieldfare or Redwing so it had to be a Jay and I have not seen one of those for nearly 40 years! Feeling very pleased with myself I went another 500 m saw a low brown movement 50 m away: Roe Deer, two of them at first, then they crossed the bank to go up the hill away from me, and there was the sound of crisps crunching as their feet shuffled through the frosted crispy leaves and then I saw three a male had joined them so it was two females and one male. Total magic. Nothing much happened for the next mile and then I saw another Goosander just down from the Wier past Prebend bridge. This one was 20 m away from me and not bothered at all that I was there completely out in the open I could clearly see its teeth in its sawbill and the little hook at the end. Magic. To round it off on the 2 mile walk back I saw 2 Little Grebes and noticed that the North West Wind was really warm:  snow is coming!