Wednesday 2nd April - All 25 seen - Steer 217 was alone and separated from the rest of the herd

Ten members of the original Caesar's herd were happily grazing in the thicket near ///refers.pint.builds, at the Royal Pavilion end of the site, at 16:15 this afternoon. Despite the sunshine, most preferred the cool shade. A little later, youngsters 222 and 227 were grazing further north, near ///label.debit.hurt, along the perimeter fence by Bourley Road. Both were very friendly, coming over to say hello and enjoy a few strokes. All twelve cattle were happy, relaxed, and looking well.

At 17:05, rather unusually, youngster 217 was on his own, munching on gorse on Hungry Hill near ///casual.bake.plus. He appeared absolutely fine, with no visible injuries, and was walking normally. Earlier, he had been down at Horse Pond, so he made his way up the hill without any issues. I had a good look around to see if any of the non-collared Sussexes were with him, but there were no other cattle to be found. I stayed with him for a while to make sure he was okay.

By 17:40, steers 33 and 219, along with cows 72, 234, and 940, were munching on fresh grass along the sides of the path near ///mops.suave.inches. They grazed westward, calmly passing through blockades set up by the army near the main entrance to Gelvert. The cattle wisely kept out of the soldiers' way. Cow 940 had a tick bite near her front left “armpit”, but it wasn't causing her any discomfort. All five were healthy and content.

At 18:20, the seven Sussexes were grazing near ///ferried.vans.prefect, at the Shell garage end of the site. Several were in the water, munching on the shoots sprouting through the surface. By 18:40, they had moved into the pasture to the north, where they enjoyed plenty of heather. All seven were happy and healthy.

The cows were all good today, though I'm really hoping youngster 217 rejoins one of the groups soon.

Tuesday 1st April - All 25 seen

The eighteen members of the original Caesar's herd were happily grazing at the Royal Pavilion end of the site at 16:20 this afternoon. Sixteen of them were spread out across the thicket, ranging from steer 21 near ///yours.shut.dating to cows 214 and 234 further southeast near ///bump.raced.bills. They were all happy, relaxed, and looking well.

Meanwhile, steer 30 and cow 940 were grazing just past the cow shed, near the Bourley Road car park, at 16:55. Steer 30 climbed into a ditch for a refreshing drink of water, which was actually much clearer than it looked in the photo! Both were happy and healthy.

By 17:35, the cattle were scattered far and wide, when steer 227 let out a few rallying moos. Moments later, a large part of the herd came running towards him. After catching their breath, they all wandered down to the area near ///meaty.change.seated, where they reunited with steer 30 and cow 940. Before long, they began to drift off in ones and twos towards Bourley Road, moving northwest. Youngster 227 lingered a little longer, enjoying a long, relaxing neck and back rub, while standing peacefully in the sunshine.

The seven Sussex cattle were happily grazing in the pasture southeast of James Bond Pond at 18:10, enjoying a mix of grass, heather, and gorse. They were all very friendly, stopping to say hello and enjoy a few strokes. They looked fantastic in the last of the afternoon sunshine—relaxed, content, and in good condition.

The cows were all good today.

Monday 31st March - All 25 seen - many of the cattle have large numbers of ticks in and around their “armpits” and on their necks

The cattle were on the move when I first caught up with them near Horse Pond at 10:30 this morning, having set off from near the Lookout. They were being quite vocal, making sure the whole herd knew where they were headed. Many of the cattle, including the seven Sussexes, stopped to graze just beyond the trees south of the pond before having a refreshing drink.

By 11:00, most of the cattle had reached the large pasture northeast of the pond, where they spread out and enjoyed the plentiful fresh grass. By 11:30, around half the herd had gathered near ///arose.thud.campsites, where they settled down to rest and chew their cud in the glorious sunshine. The remaining cattle continued to graze for a while before gradually lying down in ones and twos across the pasture. I did notice that cow 940 had a bit of a runny nose today.

Meanwhile, steers 20, 21, 33, 217, 220, and 271 were still hungry and crossed over the path to graze in the pasture to the northwest, enjoying even more grass. By noon, the boys had started to make their way back to the main group. On his way, youngster 220 couldn’t resist a good roll in a large pile of dirt.

I said my goodbyes just after 12:20, leaving the entire herd lying down and resting. Like yesterday, I noticed that many of the cattle had a large number of ticks in and around their “armpits” and on their necks. Despite this, they were all happy, relaxed, and looking well.

The cows were all good today.

Sunday 30th March - All 25 seen

Nine cattle were grazing near the water tower at 20:10 this morning. They were all very friendly, coming over to say hello and enjoy some strokes. After a while, they gathered at the grassy islands near ///acid.zooms.rhino, where they began to relax and chew their cud in the sunshine. Cow 214's head injury continues to heal well, with barely a trace now visible. The cattle were all happy, relaxed, and looking well.

At 10:50, steers 21, 33, 217, and 230 were spread out, grazing among the trees further west near ///glare.direct.imply. Youngster 230 was especially friendly, thoroughly enjoying a long back scratch. All four were happy and healthy.

Even further northwest, the seven Sussexes were grazing near ///verges.sprayer.dive at 11:15. They were happily munching on heather and fresh grass, looking fantastic in the sunshine. However, I did notice they had a large number of ticks in and around their “armpits”. Despite this, they were all content and looking well.

While heading off to look for the final five steers, I passed by the first group again at 11:45. They were now lying down, resting. Most were relaxing and chewing their cud, while a few dozed in the warm sunshine. Yearling 270 was completely sprawled out, lying on his side. Youngster 217 had joined the group, but the other three steers were still grazing.

At 11:55, steers 35 and 227 were standing chewing their cud in the sunshine near ///replaying.drive.roost, to the northeast of James Bond Pond. Youngster 227 enjoyed a long back and neck rub, then wandered off and lay down beside steer 35. Nearby, steers 20, 220, and 271, were grazing in the gorse bushes. Yearling 271 soon came over to greet me. All five were happy, relaxed, and looking well.

The cows were all good today.