RINGING THE CHANGES

Mountain hares aren’t the only ones in winter coats. Roe deer appear noticeably greyer and more grizzled at the moment, having moulted their redbrown summer coats in early autumn. The bucks are also busy changing antlers – no other British deer do this in winter. They cast their old set between October and December, then new ones sprout straight away and will be complete by March. At this time of year you often see roe in larger groups, especially in mixed farming landscapes where gatherings a couple of dozen strong are not unheard of.

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