During the brief mild spell of mid-December, some of the snow cover melted away exposing abundant signs of vole activity. Here you can see the entrance to a tunnel, and a big pile of scat. Nearby there were many other such piles. Although we are largely unaware of this, life goes on in the sub-nivean layer, that is, beneath the snow. Voles are quite numerous again this year, and they will attract predators such as raptors (hawks and owls) and foxes.