Monday 25th May - All 25 seen

 Between 06:00 - 08:30

All seen in 3 locations this morning as follows….

///closer.ships.ozone (east of horse pond) 217,035,220,020,230,234,1640,214,033 and 030. 220’s mark on his head was quite red but no sign of bleeding. I have attached a photo.

///fantastic.exists.oval (sandy bowl) 222,072 and 940

///ribcage.indoors.topic (lookout) 271,279,219,021,228,227 and the other 6 Sussex’s.

All the cattle were good this morning, most of the ones at the lookout were laying down chewing their cud.

Sunday 24th May - All 25 seen - Steer 220 has a minor injury on the right side of his head

At 09:20 this morning, five of the Sussex cattle were resting and chewing their cud in the shade of the trees near ///firebird.nurse.love at the Shell garage end of the site, while steer 197 was grazing contentedly nearby. Steer 1626 had settled in a cool spot in the bushes on the far side of the path to the south. All of them were being bothered by numerous flies, but they were otherwise in good condition and not showing any signs of distress despite the already intense heat.

At 10:05, twelve members of the Caesar’s original herd were gathered at the Lookout. Most were resting under the trees, where a slight breeze was keeping them cool and helping to keep many of the flies away. Steers 20, 30, and 33, along with cow 214, preferred to rest out in the sunshine. They were all very friendly and happy to be approached for plenty of strokes, with several standing up for back scratches. A few also rolled over onto their sides while enjoying the attention.

Steer 220 had a small injury on his right disbudding site. It was red but not bleeding, and I suspect he may have been rubbing his head too hard against a tree to get rid of flies. He seems slightly irritated by it, with frequent head shakes, but he’s otherwise fine — moving normally, resting, and chewing his cud. I’ve made Chris at HIWWT aware, and we should keep a careful eye on him.

At 11:40, the remaining six steers were found in or around the cow shed. Older steer 35 and youngster 227 were resting under the trees just outside the shed. Youngster 270 soon came out to greet me and enjoy some scratches. Youngsters 228 and 271 were relaxing and chewing their cud inside the shed. Older steer 21 had been grazing to the southwest but soon wandered over, said hello, then crossed the wooden bridge to stand under the shade of the trees to the north. All six were happy, relaxed, and in good condition. I said my goodbyes at 12:30, leaving them all resting peacefully.

With the exception of youngster 220, the cows were all good today.

Saturday 23rd May - All 25 seen

At 08:45 this morning, steers 21, 35, 227, 228, 270, and 271 were grazing in the shade at the west end of Longbottom. They were all very friendly, taking turns to come over to say hello and enjoy some strokes. They gradually moved east but were happy to stand close for long periods, relaxing and chewing their cud while I helped keep the flies away from their eyes. After saying my goodbyes at 09:15, they set off further east in the direction of Horse Pond.

At 09:25, steers 30, 33, 210, 222, 230, and 1626, along with cows 211, 212, and 940, were grazing in the pasture north of James Bond Pond, near ///burst.candy.paler. After coming over to say hello, they soon started to lie down and rest in the warm sunshine. Cow 211 enjoyed a long neck and ear rub before lying down at my feet. Youngster 222 wandered over from the far western corner to greet me with gentle head rubs before leaning in for a long back scratch. All nine were happy and healthy.

The remaining ten cattle had wandered off to the southwest to graze among the heather in the pasture near ///bars.clerk.villas. As I set off to check on them, youngsters 222 and 230 followed after me. Cows 72 and 1396, along with steers 197, 219, and 1640, were all grazing contentedly, but soon stopped to enjoy some attention. Soon after, they started to lie down on a grassy patch on the corner. Steers 20, 217, and 220, along with cows 214 and 234, were spread out across the surrounding area, still grazing. They soon moved into the shade to rest and chew their cud. All ten were happy, relaxed, and in good condition.

I returned to the second group shortly before 10:45 to spend some more time with them. Some had started to get up and briefly stand in the shade before wandering off to join the others. Cow 211 stayed behind, happy to be approached and to enjoy more strokes, eventually stretching out on her side for a belly rub. I said my goodbyes shortly after 11:00, with her following me before wandering off to join the others. Hopefully, they'll all head off and find somewhere cool to rest.

The cows were all good today.