Wednesday 14th January - 23 seen

At 12:15 this afternoon, fifteen members of the Caesar’s original herd were grazing across the pasture near ///self.bicker.cheerily, moving in the direction of Horse Pond. It was lovely to see them dry and grazing contentedly in the sunshine, a marked contrast to yesterday when they were soaked and looking rather miserable in the constant rain. They were all friendly, taking turns to come over to say hello and enjoy some strokes. Youngsters 222, 227, and 228 were especially friendly, enjoying long neck and back rubs and responding with gentle head rubs. By 12:45, the group had reached the hillside north of Horse Pond near ///shin.array.blinking, where most were happily grazing on heather. All fifteen were relaxed, happy, and looking well.

At 12:50, steers 219 and 1626 were found grazing near ///react.focal.paddlers, around 300 metres southwest of Horse Pond. Earlier, they had made their way east along Sandy Hill before descending into the thicket on the far side of the path. Youngster 219 stood happily for plenty of strokes and rubs, while steer 1626 foraged for acorns. Both were calm, content, and in good condition.

After a check on Sandy Hill to look for any other cattle, I returned briefly to the first group at 13:15, where several had begun lying down to rest in the bracken on the hillside near ///quest.inspects.downs.

By 13:40, the remaining six Sussex cattle were grazing deep in the gorse near ///dries.blesses.active, close to the main entrance to the Gelvert reserve. They all came over to greet me, with most enjoying having loose gorse brushed from their backs and sides. Cow 211 was particularly affectionate, enjoying a long neck and head rub and thanking me with plenty of licks. All six were happy, relaxed, and in good condition.

Just to the southeast, a contractor had done a tremendous job clearing the dense gorse bushes that filled the pasture as far as the eye could see. I had a nice chat with him while he tended three fires burning the gorse he’d cut down.

Despite a thorough search, I was unable to locate older steers 33 and 35 today. I suspect they were in the gorse bushes on Sandy Hill, but I was unable to find them. Numerous tracking collars were also not appearing on the map, possibly because they got soaked in yesterday’s heavy rain.

The cows that were found were all good today.

Monday 12th January - All 25 seen

 Between 08:00 - 10:00

All have been seen this morning but I have only managed to have a close look at 20 of them.

The first group were at the Aldershot end of the sandy bowl at ///sailor.locked.clocks,  this included Sussex’s 212 and 210. Sarah, Buzz and 222 were also with this group of 8.

The second group of 6 were at the other end of the sandy bowl at  ///breath.larger.entry. 270,271 and white 227 were with this group.

Third group included the remaining 5 Sussex’s and 219 were at ///third.rivers.owners which is on the slope at the side of the preschool leading down to the A325. 

The final group of 5 I could see from the lookout but due to having inappropriate footwear on I could get down to see them. Brie was with this group as was 234 and 214.

All the cattle were busy eating acorns and gorse and the 20 that I could see properly were all good this morning.

Sunday 11th January - All 25 seen

At 09:10 this morning, the seven Sussex cattle, along with cow 940 and steers 35, 217, and 219, were grazing near ///paddlers.dawn.chuck at the Shell garage end of the site. They were mainly browsing gorse, with some grazing on grass as well. Sussex steer 197 and cow 211 were showing off their climbing skills, reaching higher patches of gorse and heather. All were very friendly, coming over to say hello and enjoying plenty of neck and back scratches. All eleven were relaxed, happy, and in good condition.

I broke the ice on numerous puddles in the area to ensure the cattle had access to drinking water. Though, I noted that this end of the site still had more solid ice than elsewhere and was taking longer to thaw.

By 10:20, a group of eight steers were spread out grazing in the gorse bushes south of James Bond Pond. Several came over for greetings and attention, with youngster 228 especially affectionate, enjoying long neck and back scratches and responding with gentle head rubs. After some time, steers 20, 21, and 230 began foraging for acorns before moving into the pasture near ///whistle.cuff.ivory to lie down and rest in the bracken. They were soon joined by yearling 270, while the remaining steers continued grazing.

At 11:20, I found the final group of six cattle—cows 72, 214, and 234, along with steers 220, 222, and 271—browsing gorse in the bushes north of their favourite Sandy Hill corner. They were all very friendly, popping their heads through the bushes and moving toward me to greet me, sparing me the worst of the terrain. After a while, cows 214 and 234 began descending Sandy Hill, grazing on heather as they went. All six were calm, content, and looking well.

While spending time with youngster 222, I noticed rubbish and discarded clothing in the surrounding bushes and carried out some litter‑picking to remove any risk of the cattle chewing on it.

The cows were all good today.

Saturday 10th January - All 25 seen - Several of the Sussex cattle have bald patches on their coats that appear consistent with mites.

It was a bit of a moveable feast today, with the cattle shifting between groups and keeping the search interesting.

At 09:15, steers 35, 217, and 222, along with cows 72, 234, and 940, were browsing gorse on Sandy Hill near ///acids.into.party. They soon emerged from the bushes to greet me and enjoy some strokes and rubs, before gathering in the sunshine beside the main path. All six were happy, relaxed, and looking well.

By 09:55, the seven Sussex cattle, together with steers 33 and 219 and cow 214, were grazing at the western end of Sandy Hill. Most were browsing gorse, while a few grazed on frost‑tipped grass. Sussex steer 210 and cows 211 and 1396 then made their way down the slope to Longbottom, before crossing into the dense gorse to continue grazing.

I continued east along Sandy Hill, breaking the ice on several more puddles to provide additional drinking water. At 10:55, I found steers 21, 30, and 227 resting in the sunshine at their favourite Sandy Hill corner. About ten minutes later, steer 20 emerged from the gorse and joined them. All four were calm, relaxed, and content.

By 11:15, youngsters 228 and 230, along with yearling 270, were lying comfortably in the bracken on the slope west of Horse Pond near ///ounce.balance.casino. They enjoyed plenty of strokes while resting and were all looking well.

At 11:40, youngster 220 and yearling 271 were happily browsing gorse on the slope of Sandy Hill near ///seeing.smiled.choice. They popped their heads through the bushes before coming over to say hello. Both were relaxed and in good condition.

Finally, at 12:05, I caught up with Sussex steer 210 and cows 211 and 1396 browsing gorse on higher ground along the southern side of James Bond Pond. Cow 211 particularly enjoyed having loose gorse brushed from her back, responding with plenty of licks. To the southwest, the remainder of their group had merged with the first group of six and were standing in the sunshine on the grass track. They then moved into the pasture to lie down in the heather near ///rental.vets.helpfully. I said my goodbyes shortly after 12:40.

I did notice that several of the Sussex cattle have bald patches on their coats that appear consistent with mites. However, I appreciate that, given the current weather conditions, it isn’t possible to spray them at present.

The cows were all good today.