Lazy afternoon

All still around O22 a couple of hours later, though in a tight group with most just standing up and watching the world go by.

Full count

Saturday 14.30, i found all 35 covering an area along O21 to O23, most were grazing with a few lying down chewing the cud, they all looked o/k.

Looking Good

All 35 present this morning at ~Q18 doing the "herd thing" Elliot spoke about last year. They really look as though they belong in the landscape when you get a chance to see them from a distance. They all look healthy and are very relaxed now when you walk amongst them, so much so that before you know it they are investigating you! Collar's collar seems to be quite loose but I'm not sure how tight it should be.

Full count

Saw the full group at about 14.30 on the south slope of Long Bottom, roughly R18 & 19. All looked fine.

All well amidst the gunfire

Found them ambling around at T9 early today, pretty oblivious to the military exercise surrounding them. I think they were all there - I was moved on before I had a chance for a further count as I was in the way of a tank.....

Full count

Wednesday 10.00, i found all 35 at roughly O17 all were grazing and slowly moving East.

16 in a tight cluster

After a long absence from the bloggosphere, Truffle Hound and I were delighted to see 16 cows (inc Collar) in a tight group at approx L27 at 4.30. We have been walking but clearly in the wrong areas for months....

Full count

Tuesday 10.00, i found a group of 16 at roughly I24 they were all grazing and slowly moving South, another group of 18 were at P18, and were all grazing, all the cattle looked o/k.

Long bottom cows

Found 16 (one wearing collar) at Long Bottom. Some were laid down but they all moved off when I approached from the truck. Last seen heading east. they lloked well, with some holding their tails hgh when they moved off, not sure what this means but probably posturing behaviour typical of young cows!

I patched the barb wire in two places along Sandy Hill and spotted a break at the A287 roundabout on my way back to the office. I think lanmarc's machinery has caught the fence while cutting the fire break so really they should be the ones to fix it. If anyone gets the chance, please could you check p25 - M31 (heath end) and F17 - T3 (Bourley Road - Beacon Hill) and let me know of any other cuts? I'll pass the deatils to Pierro. In two weeks time Landmarc are employing contactors to replace the heavily patched fencing at the gates so it would help to get the whole lot checked and fixed (this is in addition to the grazing Project weekely 'hotspot' checks of the often cut areas).

rachelr@hwt.org.uk 01256 381190

Saturday 11.00, i found them grazing at roughly O19 as with Steve i had a little trouble counting them as they would not stand still and they were in and out of the bracken, i counted a positive 34 and possible 35.

Beautiful morning for cows

Came across them at P16 behind the flooded gravel pit happily grazing in the sunshine. They all looked fine and calm and even stood their ground when a dog ran past behind a cyclist. There were 30 together and I found another 4 behind a ridge. Subsequent counts didn't go above 34 but they were moving around.

Full count

Wednesday 10.00, today i found them all at roughly N20, some were lying down chewing the cud and some were on their feet grazing, they all looked o/k, but i did see one black one with a ring on its right hind quater, i wonder if this is ring worm?

Cattle checked and all found

Hello everyone.

On finishing checking the hot spots (areas where the fence is most frequently cut) and thankfully finding no cuts I drove around the site to look for the cows seeing as Bob had had no luck earlier on. Thanksfully I pretty much driove into them all laying up and chewing the cudd as one big herd which is a really nice site to see as it shows them all happy and contenet and well fed. They were in square m16 for those of you who use the grid reference system and look as though they have spent some time there by the numbers of dung piles.

Elliott

no cows today

Tuesday 09.00, another day with no luck, i looked around the whale tail and over to caesars with no sign of them.

All found

All 35 were grazing/lying down at T10 mid afternoon. They seemed very relaxed although a couple of trail bikes did their best to spoil that.

Another nil return

Late afternoon and nothing to be seen on the tail/camp area. Guess we could do with Elliott's gadget. Will try to get up there tomorrow.

Nor Me

...and I looked from the Royal Pavillion car park up over Caesars Camp to Long Bottom without a sighting this morning.

No cows today

Saturday 14.00, i had a look around the whale tail and over to caesars camp with no luck.

Photos of cattle in snow

Hello

I thought that you may like to see some photos of the cattle enjoying the snow - as well as one of Elliott trying to find them.

The cattle seemed to have coped well with the difficult conditions, in a grassy field we would have to feed them hay, but because of the '3D' structure of the heather they are better able to find food on the heath.

Wednesday 16.00, i managed to find them all at roughly M17, they were all grazing and looked o/k.

Full count

Tuesday 14.30, i managed to track them down on top of caesars camp at roughly L19, they were all grazing and looked o/k.

They are popular today

I too found them all happily grazing in the early afternoon. Unfortunately a couple of motor bikes were back on the top of the Camp.

Full count

Saturday 16.00, thanks to Steve's blog i managed to find them without any problems they were all at F19ish, grazing and making there way along the path heading East, they all looked o/k.

Feeling sorry for themselves...

I was lucky to spot them from Bourley Road before parking at the Royal Pavillion car park this morning. All 35 were tucked up behind trees and a drainage gulley in F24 (SU 842 507) below Cheese Hill. They all looked fine if a little sorry for themselves. They were occasionally grazing on tufts of heather sticking up through the snow and were content for me to walk amongst them. "Horns" and "Collar" were together - shame I left my camera at home.

35 on Caesar's Camp

Hello
Following our last post, the errant cow has now been returned to Caesar's Camp, making a grand total of 35.
Rob, the farmer, is going to give the cattle some supplimentary feed to see them through the snowy period. This will be on the bare patch of sand (snow?!) at the bottom of the plateaux (I 20), so they might be hanging around there for a few days.
Thanks for all your help over this tricky period.

Alex

Wednesday 10.30, just got back from caesars camp and read the sad news of the dead cow, i found 34 at R8 all very quiet soaking up the sun and chewing the cud. As the blog had not been posted before i left i had a good look over the area for the 2 missing now i know why i could not find them.

Dead cow!

Hello all,

I am afraid to say that yesterdays incident with a cow escaping was followed by another incident that we have just been informed about by the grazier.

It appears as though two cows managed to escape the site yesterday afternoon at some point. One of these cows was unfortunately hit by a car and subsequently died. As far as we are aware the driver was OK but we are waiting to find out more about the incident itself. The other cow was rounded up and placed in a field. The grazier will collect this cow today and probably take it back to the farm.

As yet this is all we know and we are assuming that these two escapees are in fact the two cows we could not find and which Bob saw up in the woods at midday. We will of course update you on news as soon as we get it but in the meantime this leaves 34 cattle on site.

Elliott

Caesars Camp 4/2/09

We got a call yesterday about a cow on the Bourley Road, the police were out in force to help Alex C. The cow was put back in the site with the rest of the herd.

We managed to locate 2 groups of cows; one of 16 (including the cow that was outside) and one of 18. Making a grand total of 34. the group of 16 were at the bottom of the slope by the covered reservior, and the group of 18 were on Long Bottom.

We couldn't find the 2 wondering cows, at least we know they are together.

The cows looked pretty miserable, loosing their footing as they can't see the ground they are treading on. On the positive side we did observe them nosing the snow to reveal the heather, and eating pine. So at least they've worked out how to get to the food.

I got some good pictures that I'll put on the blog in good time.

A few more

Just as the light was fading, I saw 15 at P 15, trying to find something edible in the mushy melt water. Two laggards were at P16 - possibly those Bob spotted earlier. No signs of the rest. It was very beautiful up there.

Tuesday 13.00, today i only managed to find 2 lonley cows in the woods of the whale tail at R3,i walked over to caesars camp and saw no sign of the others.