today 8/30am I found the cattle just to the west of the now demolished troop shelter ,at first I could only see three these I got close to they looked in good condition ,I found the rest they were in a clump of gorse feeding on the top shoots, unable to get near these as the gorse was to thick

12.00, i did not find any cattle today, i came onto site from beacon hill and cycled around the whale tail over to Caesars camp down to skirmishing hill and up long bottom with no luck.

11.15, I eventually found all 7 in the fog near the track at Q9, all were grazing on the gorse and all looked ok.

Dear All,

I hope that you are all well. The grazing project team braved the cold weather to fell some trees at the Tumuli yesterday afternoon. It was a really beautiful day with the snow on the trees and the Robbins following our every move, searching for food in the areas where we created any ground disturbance. The cows heard us coming and quickly gathered around the felling area nibbling at the brash that we were stacking. They all looked really well and developed a special interest when the mince pies and doughnuts came out!

We are clearing the Tumuli to help preserve these historic mounds and prevent tree roots growing through the soil which damages their structure. The work will continue intermittently until all of these area are clear.

Take care and have a lovely Christmas,
Many thanks
Lucy

13.10 I found all of the cattle in the whale tail woods near the fence at T4, all were grazing and looked ok

saw all the Cattle at 9.45am at 4s in the dip spread out eating. looked fine.

Saw all the Cattle at 9.30am at Q9 in the fog eating the silver berch shoots, all seemed well.

At about 12.00 I noticed a few cattle in the whale tail near the Beacon hill road at Q4, I could not count them or did i notice their condition.

Saw all the Cattle at 9.30 this morning, including the calf. Happily chomping away at the top of the long bootom track. Couldn't fill in blog untill now, no connection.

Only 6 Catte found

Hello everyone.

On my sites visit today I found the steers and the cow in J7. Having looked back through the blog and from speaking to the farmer it has now become apparent that it has been some time since the calf was last seen. The farmer visited only yesterday and found all of the cows and could not find the calf. We will speak to the farmer and see what he wishes to do. Watch this space.

Elliott

No sign of Cattle today. very foggy again, lots of their prints in the whales tail but dont know where they are hiding.

Evidence of their being at the top of Long Bottom recently but got no sighting; fog restricted visibility to about 100 yds.

I did not find the cows again, not having much luck at the moment.

Didnt find the Cattle today, saw lots of their foot prints in the whales tail, but no sign of them.

At 9.45am i saw 3 steers in the freezing fog in the whale tail at 7S. Had a good look around the area but no sign of the rest of them.

mike

Had a good hike around this morning 07.30--09.00 could not find any cattle

Have not seen any for some weeks and today was no exception - reduced visibility in near freezing fog was no help.

Went to Caesars camp today but no sign of the cattle. Are they still there, do they cope well with this weather?

NERT and ERT Working Parties

Hi there,Some lookers have expressed an interest in doing some practical habitat management with HWT. The next months calender looks like this!

DECEMBER
8th NERT at Longmoor - scrub Clearance
9th ERT at Longmoor - Scrub clearance
15th NERT at Noar Hill - Hedge planting
29th NERT - TBC - Scrub Clarence to work off the Christmas pudding!

ERT will be a new working party to help out in the Eastern region of Hampshire and the 8th December is the first event so come and join in!If you would like any further details then please contact Keith or myself. Our contacts are on the right in the contacts list. We hope to see some of you there!
Many thanks
Lucy

Saw the Cattle at 9.45am they were walking towards me Then they stopped in a gateway at Q7 only counted 4 steers, one Cow and one Calf. could of been mistaken. they didnt seem too friendly so didnt get to close.

Saw them all on Saturday only the bank near Bricksbury Hill. All looked well

All seen yesterday

Hello
I checked all of the cattle yesterday (Thursday) - they were on the plateau of Caesar's Camp itself.
All look very well, and in good condition.
Thanks
Alex

Saw the Cattle on the Sandy Hill track at 9.30am. all looked well.

Didn't see any Cattle today.

met the cattle 8/am they were in grids q/r/15/16 unable to get close today they appeared to be heading towards the flooded gravel pit

today 8/am I found the cattle they were both sides of the long bottom track ,two were in grid r/19 the other five were in grid q/18, I got up close to all of them they all looked fit and well the calf looks very strong,

Couldn't find them this afternoon. They are all very quiet, in the summer you heard them before you saw them.

I found the cattle 7/45 am they were on grids r/18 s/17 ,all seven were there the calf has grown a lot since I last saw it ,I got really close to all of them one at a time ,they all looked well no runny noses eyes all clear no injuries to legs or bodies, grazing on a variety of materials

Couldn't find the cattle this morning.

At last i saw the cattle this morning at 10.10 am where the film set were, i didnt get too close as the digger was still in action. But all seemed well.

East to west again but no sighting of cattle.

The film company seems to have been diligent in efforts to clean up the site. It would appear that there remains a comparative small amount of work to be done. One week ago I counted some 250 wheeled vehicles on this part of the area.

Hi Everyone,
What a miserable day it's been!
I found all the cattle today just beyond the film crew in S3. They all looked well and the calf is filling out nicely!

The other news that we wanted to make you aware of is that there was a diesel spill last night. The film crew where moving some lights mounted on a generator when they hit a tree stump and broke a fuel line. This has unfortunately seeped down to the pond around Q11. A clean up crew where called very quickly and have cleared up a large amount but there are still sand bags and floats in the water to prevent it spreading any further. We have spoken to the grazer and he is happy for us to leave the cattle on the area as he believes the smell and taste of the water is likely to put them off drinking it. There is plenty of clean water in the area. We will, of course be keeping a close eye on them and the clean up operation. Natural England and the Environment Agency have been informed of the spill and will also be monitoring the situation.

many thanks for your continuing help, especially in this weather!
Lucy

Didnt see the Cattle again today.

Covered a lot of ground but no sign of the Cattle this morning.

Camera Shy Cattle?

On site checks today but failed to get a sight of any cattle, so perhaps they're hiding from the film crew as there is a lot of vehicle activity.(14.00) The NERT volunteers are out on site again this Wednesday (in Long Bottom from 10.00 or so, clearing Birch and Willow scrub) so we'll be able to have a concerted effort to find the animals then.

Transited area east to west thru' Jubilee Clump but without sighting any cattle.

mike

Saw cattle today all looked well seems weird without all the other cattle

after looking every day since the new cattle were put on site I finally found them at 8/am today ,they were at grid l18 all seven were there, I noticed one black one trying to eat a small plastic bottle I managed to get it to drop it and move away ,I then picked up the bottle and it has now been removed from site all looked ok but a bit bedraggled due to all the rain

Saw all seven lying down on the top of Ceasars camp chewing the cud.

Full count

13.30, today all 7 were on Caesars cam at K20, they were all grazing and looked o/k

Didnt see the cows today, thought i heard them but it turned out to be chainsaws.

NERTs but no cows

We had a fine day scrub clearing with regular North East Reserves Team (NERT) volunteers and we were pleased to welcome Ivan who set to with bow saw and loppers. We'll be out at the same site again next week and would welcome any and all who'd like to help. Despite being on site all day not a sight of a cow alas.

No sign of the Cattle this morning.

Hi Everyone,
Following my recent email here is the information about working parties happening on Caesars Camp.
If you would like to attend then please come along or contact Keith for more information

November 3rd and 10th
Site – Caesar’s Camp
Task- Scrub Clearance
Meeting place – Bourley Road entrance, near Pavilion Hill. This entrance was used for Willow Coppicing last February and we came here to pull ragwort (happy days!).
Grid reference – SU 845 509 Nearest post code- GU11 1PZ
We’ll cut the scrub with bow-saws and loppers and perhaps a brush cutter or two.

Many thanks
Lucy

Elliotts Site check report

Hello all,

I am on site checks this week and after driving around for an hour I could not find any of the cattle.

I did manage to find our contractors (greenleaves) starting to clear the scrub near to the covered reservoir n H17. They will be on site for a number of weeks and will be heading up to the Caesars camp section of the site to clear the iron age ramparts next. That should really help them to stand out and see what is what.

We are clearing scrub down in H28 on Wednesday if anyone fancies coming and helping to cut some scrub or load a big bonfire.

best wishes

Elliott

I thought I counted 8 head which all appeared to be steers at the top of Long Bottom an hour ago. Anyway all 7 (8) appeared to be in good order.

The film is 'Frostbite' - one of Capt. Marvell episodes apparently.

Saw all 7 of the the Cattle near the top Pond at Q 16, at 11am, all looked well.

Didnt spot the Cattle today.

Full count

14.45, i found all 7 lying down under trees at S6, I had come in from the beacon hill side and cycled to Caesars camp down to the pavilion and back up longbottom and as luck would have it i saw them as i was heading home. all looked OK

Traversed the area from east, thru' Jubilee Clump, to west; saw no cattle but some reasonably fresh dung on Bricksbury Hill.

A film set is being set up in the open space towards the water tower - American, big screen apparently but I did not catch the title.

Steers put on

Hello
It's all change at Caesar's Camp as the steers from Greywell have now arrived. There are 5 in total, plus the remaining cow and calf.
Steers are castrated bulls.
Thanks
Alex

At 1.30 pm saw the Cow and calf standing under a tree next to the Long Bottom Track. They were looking very pleased with them selves for escaping eviction.

All bar one removed

Hello
All of the cattle have been removed from Caesar's Camp, apart from one cow and calf which remained elusive. We will try and round her up another time when she has calmed down a little.
The 11 steers from Greywell will probably join them tomorrow.
I will let you know as soon as I know!
Thanks
Alex

8/am today I found cattle both sides of the long bottom track grids q/r 19/20 ,slowly moving west grazing as they went ,I only counted 40 reliably as others were constantly joining them,all of the ones I was close to looked well

I only found 26 cattle today at 7/30 am they were spread over grids o/p/17/18 got close to a number of them they looked ok ,I knew there were others close by but as the military were operating in the area I moved on ,as I worked with cattle in my early days I understand they need to be removed but I for one will miss them it has been good looking for them and keeping an eye on their general health looking forward to seeing the replacements

found a total of 51

14.00 I found 13 cows and 8 calf,s at roughly S 6-7, another group containing 9 cows and 5 calf,s were at about P and Q 19-20 and a final group of 10 cows and 6 calf,s were at J28 some were grazing but the majority were lying down, all looked OK

Cattle coming off next week for weaning

Hello
All of the cattle will be removed from Caesar's Camp some time next week in order to wean the calves.
They will be replaced by 11 (I think) galloway/luing cross steers for the winter.
I will be able to let you know which day nearer the time, when the farmer gives me a more definite date.
The steers have been on one of our reserves near Hook, Greywell Moors, for the summer so should be nice and fat!
Thnaks for all your help

Alex

Same as where Norman saw them. a little later at 9.20 am, all were quite relaxed today.

today 7/45 I met cattle they were both sides of the long bottom track grids p/q 21/22 slowly moving west, others were spread over the hillside to the south side of the track ,more were on the track behind the bricksbury and sandy hill estates from the field gate grid p/24 to grid r/19 I counted a total of 70 I was very close to a large number of them they all looked fit and well

Saw about 50 Cattle at 11.45 am Spread out from the large Sandy area right up to the Horse Pond and either side of the Long Bottom track. The group at the horse pond were making a lot of noise. When I came back that way half an hour later they were still mooing. All the others seemed relaxed.

7/45 this morning I met cattle as soon as I entered the site they were on the triangle of grass behind the bricksbury estate with more coming from the east to join them all slowly moving west along the sandy hill track as I went west I saw more down on the long bottom track near the horse pond so I went down the hill to get close to these they were spread over the hillside south of the pond with more coming from the east again slowly moving west following the long bottom track I managed to count 60 total those I got close to around 35 all looked well

mike

tuesday 12th oct 09.45 after a long hike from bourley rd eventualy found 26 cows at west of ceasers camp grid ref r 7 all looked well

mike

Monday 11th oct 09.45 I found 12 cows west of ceasers camp grid ref k 16 plus one red feeding container couldnot find anymore.

At 9.30am Saw about 20 Cows and Calves on the bank East, off the long bottom track, Then there was another 30 near the top pond. all very quiet today, they seemed quite happy. See you tomorrow for the Litter pick.

At 9am i saw about 20 Cows and Calves on the paths leading up to the horse pond, then another 20 spread out on the Sandy Hill track. They seemed fine.

mike

tuesday 5th oct 08.45 found mixed cows and calfs totaling 39 in all.those I got up close to all looked ok.

mike

MONDAY 4TH OCT 08.15 09.30 AM GRID REF HIJ 24 25 26 SPREAD OVER THIS AREA COUNT 44 COWS APP 18 CALFS GOT CLOSE UP ALL LOOKED WELL

Litter Pick

Hello
We are holding a litter pick on Friday the 8th OCTOBER from 10 - 12 am.
It would be great if you could come along and help out.
We are meeting by the recreation ground opposite Barrie Road on Sandy Hill.
We will provide gloves and bin bags.
I hope to see you there!
Many thanks

Alex
(Thanks Janet!)

Litter Pick

Just noticed you have put 8th December for the litter pick. I hope you mean fri 8th October.

At 10.30am saw 27 cattle spread out from the horse pond up to the top of Caesars camp. two seemed a little agitated a Black and white one, and a brown one with the ring in its nose, They were making a lot of noise. Then I saw about 30 on the bank next to the Long Bottom path, they seemed happier.

The ring on her nose is to stop her mounting other cows. When the bull is removed hormones unfortunately don't just turn off and the cows sometimes get a little confused! The idea of the ring is that if she mounts another cow the spikes will cause the mounted animal to bolt. Sounds harsh but they can cause themselves some nasty injuries whilst trying to mount another cow. I hope that this answers your question.
Many thanks
Lucy

saw about 20 of the cows and calves around long bottom. I saw one cow with a plastic ring through its nose with plastic spikes on. It looked like it should be there but I was wondering what it was for?

Litter Pick

Hello
We are holding a litter pick on Friday the 8th December from 10 - 12 am.
It would be great if you could come along and help out.
We are meeting by the recreation ground opposite Barrie Road on Sandy Hill.
We will provide gloves and bin bags.
I hope to see you there!
Many thanks
Alex

9/45 saw small group of cattle at grids r/19/20 3 cows 3 calves got close to these all looked ok saw no sign of the rest

At 10.00 am Saw about 35 cows and calves either side of the long bottom track, all looked well, one was making a lot of noise. Then I saw 1 c0w and calf at grid m 19, didnt see the rest of them.

Hi everyone,
You will all have one less to count now as the bull has been moved off site.

It seems the weather has decided to become all autumnal and we are in for a few showers this week. Although this means an extra layer it does bring alive a new atmosphere on all our sites. Spider webs are easier to see draping amongst the gorse and the heather adds a purple haze across the landscape. At certain times of the day the greens really pop! So don't be put off, there is still so much to go and enjoy whilst you count the cattle!
All the best
Lucy

mike

28th sept o9.40 tues grid ref f 28 found 17 cows 6 calfs found another 27 cows 12 calfs +BULL spread grid ref m 31kl 29 30 all looked ok. 10 30 am.

mike

monday 27th sept time 09.30-10.30 found one cow grid d 28 then found 31 cows 11 calfs spread over area north of brown loaf hill all looked ok.

today 8/15 I saw a large number of the cattle they were spread from near the bourley road corral to approx halfway to the bourley road car park following the tree line I was on the hilltop near the seats so to far away to count

met cattle 7/30 am they were spread over the hillside south of the horse pond they were coming out of the belt of trees mainly oaks ,south of the long bottom track moving slowly west grazing as they went ,some were moving beside the track others were on the track behind the bricksbury hill estate again moving west ,I counted 45 those I was close to all looked ok

Saw the Cattle at 10.00 am round both sides of the top pond. there was about 50, all seemed well, then saw 1 Cow and 2 calves walking, heading up the long bottom path. didnt spot the Bull today.

today 7/15 I saw some of the cattle they were spread over the hillside both sides of the long bottom track from grids n/o 24/25 to grids o/p 21 22 the few I was able to get close to looked fit and well

At 9am saw about 40 cows and calfs spread out between the large sandy area and the horse pond. all looked well, didnt see the rest.

mike

wednesday 22nd sept 09.45 am found 22 cows 20 calfs + the bull.
location g 27

only found 2 cattle 7/45 am ,the all white calf and its mother in grids o/23/24, moving slowly west the calf leading the way, no sight or sound of the rest ,these two looked ok the mother browsing on the oak tree leaves the calf on the grass.

mike

07. 50am monday 20th sept one white cow with calf on there own, grid d 26.
the bull and 10 cows 5 calfs pavilion hill all looked well

8/am today I met some of the cattle they were both sides of the flooded pit slowly moving west , was only close to a few of them they looked well ,I counted 30 total one black one started moving east very fast calling out as she went presumably looking for her calf .

today 7/30 I saw the same group of cattle as janet saw ,they were slowly moving west grazing as they went I managed to count 38 ,as I sat on my shooting stick amongst a small group I was joined by three black calves all came and sniffed me up and down looked at my little dog and stayed looking for 10 mins ,I then moved on and they followed me for a short distance before stopping to graze again.

At 10.15 am there was a large group of cows and the bull, spread out either side of the long bottom track. I couldnt count them properly, but there was over 40. All looked well.

Saw the Cows this morning at 10.20. A group of about 18 cows and calfs were sat together at the large sandy area. I didnt get too close as the army were doing a shooting exercise in that area, the cows didnt seem to mind the noise. I then found a large group of about 40 including the bull furter round towards the royal pavilion. They were mainly sat relaxing. Myself and my Dog got very close and watched for a while. they all seemed fine.

mike betts

tuesday 14th sep 09.45am location ceaser camp 18 cows 8 calfs.
next grid ref p 16 10 cows 12 calfs all looked well.

Hi,
I'm sorry that it has taken me so long but I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Lucy and I will be covering Laura's post at the Trust whilst she is away on maternity cover. If you have any questions or you want to inform us of a day that you are unable to do, please feel free to contact me.
Thank you for your continuing help and support
Lucy

I must have seen the same cattle as mike saw except I was earlier 7/30 ,and they were spread over the hillside to the south of the horse pond slowly moving west ,as I was sitting on my shooting stick watching them one black calf came right up to me sniffed all up my back ,I just sat still talking to it ,it then came in front of me and sniffed all up my legs then licked my hand all this time my little dog sat beside me the calf did not seem bothered by her being there ,at this time three were just to the east of the pond, some others were on the track at the sandy hill road near the broken concrete building all moving west I got close to some of these all looked ok .

mike betts

monday 13th sept 08.30 Found 22 cows 10 calfs managed to get close up all looked
well, location just west of horse pond heading west.

Saw 44 Cows at 9.30am including the bull, and a very young cute wobbbly calf. spread out on the long bottom track and further on towards the whale tail. could hear more in the distance but didnt see them. All seemed well.

At 9.40 this morning saw a small group of 6 cows and 3 calfs at the top of the long bottom track, there was 4 more cows further round the track, all looked fine, didnt come accross the rest of the cattle.

7/30 am this morning some of the cattle were spread over the hillside at the western end of the horse pond both sides of the long bottom track ,I counted 29 total the bull was among this group ,they began to move of eastwards those I was close to looked ok but a bit bedraggled due to all the rain

One group near car park on Bourley road, one at top of Long Bottom on western side, one including bull round Horse Pond. Numbers 1 doz, 3 doz and 3 doz approx. Nothing untoward noted.

I met cattle today 8/am they were in grids o 20 21, I counted 26 mostly cows small number of calves,they were slowly moving west towards the long bottom track ,the last I saw of them they were in grids p /18 19 ,I was very close to most of them they all looked ok.

8/am today I met a small number of cattle 10, including the bull coming up the long bottom track from the pavillion end ,slowly moving west I followed them they all went to the horse pond to drink ,I noticed a very small brown and white calf with its mother this looked small enough to be recently born I do not know if this is possible the cow I think is ear tag no 270 the calf has no ear tag , I was very close to all of these all looked ok

A Few Repairs

We added a bike inner tube and altered the latch to make the new wooden gate at H16 close securely. It needs a bit of wood behind the latch to finish the job. Lucy will come up and do this next week.

We fixed a top wire break at L31. We drove over a lot of the site but saw nether hide nor hair of the cattle.

today 7/45 am I found some of the cattle at grids k/l 25/26, I counted 15 ,only 3 calves only got close to four of them they looked well all grazing in the undergrowth.

mike

08.45 am thurs 2/9/2010 location f 28 29.

1bull approx 24 cows 12 calfs spread over the two locations all looked well
no problems.

Cows spread over a very large area today. Along the ridge along bricksbury hill right over the other side towards the main car park. Saw one very young calf which seemed to still have some of its umbilical cord.

7/30 am today some of the cattle were at grids n 23/24, others were spread over grids l m n o 23 24 25 ,the bull was standing on his own beside the horse pond ,the one I reported with a limp is now walking ok ,I suspect she twisted it somehow ,all the ones I got close to looked ok I managed to count 32 saw no sign of the rest .

Some 50 including bull at the bottom of Long Bottom (near Pavilion) and remainder, I assume, at the top of the Bottom widely dispersed over western side. All that I saw seemed well.

I met some of the cattle today at 8/am they were at grids l 17/18, not all were there ,I met the one with the limp pleased to find she is almost better only a slight limp ,others were at the bottom of the bank towards the covered reservois ,unable to make a count to spread out .

8/am today a small group of cattle were at grids l/20/21 around 10/12, some of the rest were at grids l/17 18 ,I was very close to the one with the limp ,again she would not allow me to read her ear tag, the bull was with this group, I could hear others down towards the long bottom track but never found them

Fri 27th

Walked this evening (6pm to well after 7)from Horse Pond east for more than an hour and saw no cattle although we could hear some lowing.

7/45 today I met cattle at the north side of the long bottom track ,spread over the hillside from the track to the top of the hill ,as I stood watching they were coming from all sides and joining up, as I stood one light brown and white one caught my eye she was limping badly on her right front leg I was only about 1 mtr away from her but she would not allow me to read her ear tag no ,her calf was with her ear tag no1755, unsure if this will help identify the cow I saw no cuts or other obvious injuries ,they were all making their way west mostly on the long bottom track ,slightly leaving the limping one behind, I did call alex to report this cow .

femce repairs

Hello

I checked all of the perimeter fence today and found a few fence repairs, mainly by the sandy hill road. I didn't have much luck in locating the cows. I found the group of 16 that Ivan found, but not the rest.

Cheers

16 head (approx 1/2 cows, 1/2 calves) around Brown Loaf hill near old rifle butts and remainder in Long Bottom about 500 yards east of Horse Pond. All appeared ok.

Sunday 22nd August

Went lookering at about 12.30 - 2.00pm. Found two groups - the first spread over towards Bourley Road at G19/20, a mixed group of cows, calves and the bull (about to do his thing with a fickle black heifer) totalled about 38. It was very scrubby and they were moving and even large cows seemed to have the ability to hide. The second group was 14 again mixed cows and calves at H23 deep in the scrub and on the move. All seemed contented and grazing or chewing the cud. Those we did get close to are only bothered by flies and seemed content. Again hard to do a close inspection. There was obviously a group missing and they could have been between these two as a viewing from the top of Caesar's camp looked like two largish groups separated by a few hundred metres.

Happy Cows

We found what must have been the whole herd spread out around P/Q 19-22 moving east along Long Bottom at c. 1045 this morning. We counted at least 68 but must have missed some calves in the long grass. They all seemed very relaxed and not at all perturbed by passing walkers and cyclists. They generally look to be in fine health and only irritated by the flies. One "red" cow has a big fly caked discharge under her left eye. She has no ear tags but is recognisable by having just one full horn on the left. The bull is still doing his thing.

Thurs pm

We found a contented group of what counted as 65 (we assume all of them were there hidden in the scrub at O16 and 17 just to the west of the ditchwork on the west end of Caesar's camp. There were army boys doing exercises in the woods and on the top but all cattle seemed content. Camouflage is an amazing thing; I cycled past about 15 blackened faces sitting by the track before I realised they were there!

cows heading down long bottom and on the path past Bricksbury hill converging at the pond. No problems noted.

today the cattle were spread over the area to the west of the small pond where the steep drop signs are and towards the whale tail ,as I sat on my shooting stick grid r/14 by the side of a pool of water on the track ,3 cows and calves came towards me from the direction of the cattle grid on the track to the reservois ,I sat and watched they kept coming towards me I sat still and they came right up to me and drank from the pool in front of me ,I was able to get a good look at all of these all looked in excellent condition ,one calf started to feed from its mother the other 4 moved off could not find more close by

Not much to add to last but 70 odd around point some 700 yards west of Horse Pond.

Appropriate ?:

"On yonder hill there stands a coo,

If it's no there, it's awa noo."

WILLIAM MACGONAGALL

mike betts

16th aug found two cows by bricksbury hill 09.00am
found 32 cows the bull and 20 calfs around the horse pond 09.30

today 7/am the cattle were spread over a vast area from the triangle of grass behind the bricksbury estate down to the long bottom track ,east towards the horse pond and on past the pond both sides of the track,bull was on the track at the end of the pond keeping close company with two black cows he seemed very interested in ,others were spread on the north side of the track as far as almost to the track grid k 24 25 the few I was able to get close to all looked ok ,unable to get any sort of a count .

Thurs 12th at 8 - 9pm with a motorbike

Walked in the gentle rain and interesting cloud scape and saw a large dispersed group of cattle around the base of brown loaf hill. We did not get a chance to get close and do an individual inspection. We did see the bull however. We stayed on the track at about J24 and moved along the track to the east. We were able to see several small groups; some in front (W) of the hill in the open sandy area, some walking on the track and several widely dispersed in the scrub behind the hill.

While we were out one motorbike (scrambler) with no number plate was being driven at speed along the wide open track. 3 different riders were using it and they were starting at the top of Caesar's camp and following the wide track we were on and eventually driving through the cattle we were observing. Some sensibly scarpered off the track but otherwise were undisturbed. The bike was out last night as well and I think it was the same bike we saw on Sunday when the farmer was also inspecting the cattle. It seems to be a routine for this bike to be out in the evening in the week (Sunday it was morning).

visited on Tuesday, spotted cows along Long Bottom. They all looked well but very wet.

20-30 cows/calves and bull at Horse Pond and towards Pavilion under trees in bracken. No problems noted.

mike betts

monday 10th aug 10.15am
Came across approx 23 cows 14 calfs. sheltering under the trees at grid ref g 28.
all looked well.

Sunday 08 August 2010

Met 6 cows at O26 on the move. Number 255 brown and white had quite a wet bottom and skinny backbone. Rest were hale and hearty. Going towards Sandy Hill estate, we saw two more cows. One, number 270, was in the burnt gorse was trying to eat first a stone and then underlay so we shooed her away from both. Picked up some metal and the underlay and put by main path.

At S6 we met the farmer in 4x4 with his family and 9 cows and 9 calves and the bull. Then at Q4 we counted 16 more cows and 11 calves. Farmer made then all stand up and they then moved towards S6.

today 7/30 am some of the cattle were at the north side of the horse pond eastern end ,they were slolwly making their way westwards along the grassy track leading to the dismantled troop shelter ,I skirted round and got ahead of them ,and waited for them to come past me, I counted 28 9 cows rest calves they were close to me so got a good look all looked ok ,as I got to the gate to leave site I looked back two others were at grid k 24 also making their way slowly westwards one of the dog walkers I meet told more were at the beacon hill end

7/30am the cattle were spread far and wide ,some were near the field gate at the bricksbury estate ,others were on the long bottom track grids p/q 20/21 ,up to grids q/r/17/18 slowly moving westwards ,others were on the track at the sandy hill road, I saw the bull successfully mount two of the cows one brown one black ,counted 58 total I was a bit concerned about one I saw as I was on my way home ,she was stood in the middle of a burnt patch of gorse ,I thought chewing the cud as I watched she appeared to be chewing something hard it sounded like a dog chewing a bone, she kept throwing her head around as though she was trying to get rid of it I was unable to read the ear tag number ,she then came out of the gorse ahead of me still chewing I followed she met up with three others tossed her head around a few times then went off and started to eat grass, I looked to see if there was anything on the ground that she had spit out but saw nothing I hope she is ok

Thurs evening

At about 7.45pm we saw about 46 cows, calves and the bull spread over a wide area on the side of Caesar's camp round about J21/22 moving southwards towards the track. Tried to check individuals with binoculars but they were deep in grass and scrub and we could see nothing concerning bar one calf sat in the centre of the open sandy area. Otherwise all calm and content, with most grazing and others on the move at a gentle pace.

mike

3rd august 0845 am came across approx 36 cows 12 calfs + the bull, walked among them all
and they all looked ok grid ref n 21.

today 7/30 am found some of the cattle on the area shown on grid map as windy gap , I was not very close so did not get a good look at them ,I counted 38 mostly calves ,as I was moving off towards home others were coming towards me some from where the blue barrel used to be one of these a black one appeared to have a stiff right rear leg did not appear to bother her to much but walking stiffly, others were coming from the tree line where the now dismantled troop shelter wasI counted a further 10 total 48

mike

monday 2nd aug found approx 40 cows and 26 calfs walked among them
they all looked ok grid ref G 27 time 07.45 am

I found the cattle today at 7/30 am they were spread both sides of the long bottom track from grids s 17 to p/q 19 ,others on the south side were spread as far as behind the bricksbury estate ,the ones I was able to get close to all looked ok the bull was lying down quite close to the long bottom track he looked well ,to spread out to be able to count but would think they were all there

10 am sighted group of cattle at the Horse Pond. About 6 were in the water watching the technicians erecting barbed wire etc for an exercise at the pond. A larger group with calves were moving east into cover - prob at least 15 altogether.

today 7/45 am I found the cattle at the long bottom track on the south side, spread from grids r 19 to p 21/22 most of them were here ,also some were at the track at the top of the slope near the sandy hill road ,I counted a total of 68 and suspect the rest were nearby, all of the ones I was close to looked ok

site checks - a FULL COUNT!

Was delighted to find the entire herd right at the peak of the camp next to the benches all shading under the trees (J19). They look quite a sight when all together and they were being admired by a cyclist who asked me lots of questions about them.

After about 20 attempts I finally felt happy that i had definitely counted them all from all different angles! All looked well, the calves look content and the bull is trying his very best to ensure we have more calves next year, although the cows don't seem that keen!

Found plenty of water in a few different places on site so that is good too.

Laura

at about 09.45 i found what must have been all of them spread out at L-M 17, with a couple and the bull in the water taking a drink, those that i could see looked ok

Spotted the bull with a large number of the cows and calves from N26 left along long bottom. They all seemed well.

mike betts

tuesday 09.45 hrs counted approx 4o cows 16 calfs location grid ref o 21 all looked well.

mike betts

found 33 cows and 5 calfs a pavilion hill and another 9 cows and three calfs at grid ref f 26.
all looked ok .08.30 26th

7/30 am today the cattle were spread both sides of the long bottom track from grids p/q 20/21q/r 18/19 to r/s 17, the ones I was able to get close to all looked ok, I counted all of them including the bull he was trying hard to do his job .

Saw about 50 cattle plus bull (good to see him back and eager!) first thing this morning at about P20 - all seemed well. Plenty of bellowing from the cows and the calves seemed inquisitive and friendly.

At 10am this morning there was a large group of Cows and the Bull either side of the Long Bottom path, all seemed well, further up the track just before the top there was anouther group, they seemed fine.

Bull added

Hello
The eagle eyed amongst you may have noticed that the Luing bull has been added to the heard to do his business.
He is a beautiful animal - very placid and got at his job. I saw him yesterday and he was already hard at work.
He is the same one that was on last year, so we don't expect any problems. As Janet said, I saw 71 (I think) and they all looked fine.
Thanks
Alex

today 7/30am saw 6 cows on the track behind the bricksbury estate slowly going eastwards grazing as they went , saw no others there from a vantage point I use I saw some others near the small group of trees near the gate at the sandy hill playing field, I made my way up to them and counted 48, as I watched them one black one came fairly close to me I noticed she had a very weepy right eye unable to read the yellow tag but the red one was 77 her face was smothered with flies probably because of the weepy eye ,as I was leaving I saw the all white calf she appeared to be trying to eat a green plastic bottle I moved her on and went to see what she had it turned out to be a small green beer bottle this I picked up as I moved on I found another one I also picked this one up both have been removed from site all of this group were slowly making their way westwards

saw the cows at 2pm just off the Long Bottom track at about R18 and some on the Sandy Hill track they all seemed quite content, also saw Alex who had counted 71 cows.

Spotted the cows spread around the base of Ceasar's camp. Also had the excitement of calling the guards room who called out the fire brigade. Someone had started a fire and thought they had put it out. It seemed to be spreading under ground heading towards the gorse and heather. When they arrived they poured water over the area. They are happy for people to call them even if there is a small fire like that. This was the second fire they had attended on Ceasar's camp tonight.

Sandy Hill to Jubilee Clump to Bricksbury Hill but no cattle seen.

I came across some of the cattle 7/30 this morning they were spread widely across the hillside to the south side of the horse pond ,eight others were gathered near the barrel mostly calves ,I counted 38 total some others were down towards the pavillion end ,those I was close to all looked ok

Calves in the Shade

We counted ~66 cows and calves in two groups in Long Bottom this evening. 20 or so calves were grouped in the shade of some oaks. One cow was bellowing and led 3 of the calves, including the tiny black and white one, off towards the upper lake.

this morning 7 am some of the cattle were at grids r/18/19, I counted 16 they all looked ok ,I could hear others calling out but unable to find them

At 10am this morning the Cows were heading down the long bottom track towards the Horse Pond. I watched for a while, one group stopped on the track. A Army Landrover tried to get through them but they didnt want to move out of the way, so he went round them. The rest were further up the track, They were all making lots of noise. They seemed to be acting a little strange perhaps it was the wind and rain.

I could see the cows when looking over the top of Ceasars Camp. So i went down and walked through them, they were in two groups, the first group seemed quite content eating. I could hear the second group, so i walked through them a couple seemed a little agitated. One Black and white one started to chase myself and my Dog.I shouted so it gave up.They were round about 23h at 10.30am.

Unfortunately didn't spot them this time, hope for better luck next week.

Herd in open ground in the 'Tail'. I can vouch for at least 60 head. All appeared in good condition.

yesterday 7/30 am the cattle were both sides of the long bottom track grids o/p 19/20 slowly making their way west following the track ,I made an attempt to count them ,I got up to 28 but unable to count more ,a few more were on the track at the sandy hill road grid r/19/20 also making their way west I would think all were there

At 9.20am the cows were sheltering from the drizzle just off the large sandy area in a Island of trees near Sunny Hill. Dont know if they were all there, but they seemed to be a large group. Most were lying down, all was quiet.

This morning at 9.15am the cows were in two groups on the long bottom track, some were grazing some lying down. They all seemed happy. Have reported damage to fence on Farnborough road, same place as last time.

Found at least 16 calves and a large percentage of the cattle spread over a large area around M22. One of the calves had a white eye but otherwise seemed healthy, I think its number was 7 0 1663.

What a Sight!

Out site checking today and for the first time came across (14.40) the full strength herd in the whale's tail (T8,9,10). Counted 36 cows and 26 calves as the herd walked past me but there was much bashing and crashing in the woods so the rest of the herd were also just passing by! Really good to see such a concentration of grazing beasts and they went on to the small pond the NERT cleared of Willow Scrub (in bitterly cold wind and rain last December) and just chomped off all the sprouting growth. Even the calves were nibbling away at the soft new shoots!

I found a tightly knit group within a small standing of pine in the 'Tail'. There were at least 50 and possibly all of them there; no signs of disturbance or distress.

Hi I found 20 cattle this morning 7/30 am they were scattered widely grids j/k 26/27 /28 they were slowly making their way westwards grazing as they went ,15 cows 5 calves I suspect the rest were close by but unable to find them ,as I sat watching them they turned and started to make their way east towards the sunny hill area ,as I returned home going past the horse pond south side someone had had a party and left rubbish scattered all around paper cups party poppers tin cans ,I cleared this up in plastic bags and left it at the base of one of the oak trees by the long bottom track also someone had broken up a car battery the lead plates were scattered around these I also picked up and left them with the rubbish.

Even more cows

Hello
Elliott fixed the fence opposite Alexandra Road and checked the cattle yesterday. All present and correct.
The farmer has added 4 more cows with their calves making a grand total of 44 cows and 30 calves - by far the biggest number of cattle we have had up here. They will really make a big difference to the vegetation and benefit the wildlife.
Thanks for your help in looking after them.
Alex

Found most of the cattle on the top of the camp at about 6.30. About eight were half hidden in the trees and scrub on the slopes above the covered reservior. They seemed well and peaceful - most of the calves were snoozing.

At about 9.30am the cows were on both sides of a track leading up to the Horse pond. there was a few more next to the horse pond. I have seen two grass snakes this week.

Janets looker report

At 9.20am the cows were looking very relaxed mostly lying down at 30c. Then i saw them again at 11am, making a lot of noise heading accross the large sandy area at about Sunny Hill 31g I have reported damage to a Fence next to kissing gate 33g.

Found the cows spread over a large area near the round covered reservoir. Didn't attempt to count them but saw quite a lot of the calves.

While walking we spotted a lot of peacock butterfly caterpillars and scarlet pimpernel.

6 more on site

Hello. The farmer has put an additional 3 more cows and their calves out today with the herd. It will be even more difficult to count them now!

Laura

15 cows/calves in shaded area on Pavilion Hill; all seemed in good shape. No sighting of remainder.

60 in the shade...

Found what seemed to be all the cows sheltering under a couple of trees this morning at ~0900. After walking the full length of the enclosure from the Royal Pavillion car park to the old quarries in the Whale Tail, I found them while walking back along Long Bottom (at ~R16) in a tight group around the trunk of an oak. Those on the outside appeared to be fine but it was impossible to see those standing in the middle of the group. They didn't seem to be any hurry to get out into the sunshine to graze.

Janets looker report

Saw the cows this morning at 9.30am, in and around the open barn just off the first entrance of bourley road coming from Aldershot. they were resting some chewing, They all seemed happy. I presume they were all there, To many to count, I did recognise some of the original thirteen.

Janets looker report

I saw the cows this morning at 9.40am, just of the large sandy area neer the royal pavilion. They were all very quiet shading in the trees, I didnt go right up to them, but passed by the edge as i didnt want to disturb them. they all seemed quite content. I am a little concerned that the area where they were does have a lot of broken glass. I have picked up quite a lot of glass from this area in the past but there was to much too collect.

this morning7/30 am I found the cattle grids 28/29 under the trees ,most were lying down 11 of the cows were standing ,I sat on a stump watching for 10 mins then the ones that were standing started moving off towards the pavillion end ,eventually they all went ,I followed walking through the trees they ended up near the pavillion fence, I watched to see what they were going to do they then started back to where I first saw them and stopped under a group of trees grids l 30/31I watched until 8/50 am they did not appear to be moving on at anytime soon so I left for home

More cattle on Caesar's Camp

The farmer has now put some more cattle onto Caesar’s Camp.
He has added 24 cows and 23 calves, giving a total of 37 cows and 23 calves (total 60 animals).
This is great, as they will be able to munch all of the new growth and keep down some of the scrub.
Thanks for all your help. Let us know if you have any problems.
Alex

at 8/am this morning I saw the cattle they were all moving at a fast rate along the track at the north side of the horse pond ,some entered the pond to drink still moving fast all calling out a lot ,I had the impression they had been chased at some point hence fast moving ,they carried on past the pond towards the royal pavillion end ,by the time I reached the point where I saw them they had disappeared , I tried hard to find where they had gone but had no luck

Existing 13 up on Sandy Hill moving SW. One of the small blacks appears lame in one of her back legs. She also seems to be in a poorer condition than the two others of the breed.

Apart from the cows - orchids on Bricksbury Hill, 3 buzzards, mallard family with chick in large gravel pit, pied wagtail, .......

More cattle joining us

Hello
I have just spoken to the farmer.
He says that he will put 23 or 24 cows with their calves onto Caesar's Camp this afternoon.
I will confirm numbers when he has done it.
Thanks
Alex

this morning 7/30 I found the cattle as soon as I entered the site ,they were all in a tight group lying down grids p 18/19, I went across to them reluctant to disturb them so I kept my distance, from what I could see they were all ok, I stayed watching for 10 mins none looked like getting up so I left them alone and moved on ,they were all still lying down when I got to the gate to leave site.

today at 8/am the cattle were on the area where the fire was several weeks ago on the track from the barrel to the now destroyed troop shelter, all thirteen were there most lying down ,I watched for around 15 mins slowly moving among them all looked ok ,after I had moved on they started to move down towards the barrel, like janet yesterday ,I was unable to find them

Janets looker report

Was out walking for over two hours, covered a lot of the area but didnt see the cows today.

Janets looker report

First Day of Lookering, pleased to say I found all 13 Cows all looking happy, They were just off Long Bottom at about P21 at 10.30am, Some were lying resting, some lying chewing their cud, four were standing eating.
A couple of regular dog walkers in the area have been commenting on a weed that is growing in the middle of the horse Pond. I dont think it has been there the previous years, I wondered if anyone knew what it was.

Site Visit at 7.30pm

Spotted all 13 going for an evening stroll stopping off for a drink at the pond in S13. They all looked very healthy, so nothing to report.

Site checks

Found all 13 cows in E24 and E25 in a very grassy, damp area just off the main track up from the car park. I've seen them here before so perhaps its very lush where it's wet. All of them apart from 1 was lying down chewing the cud, the other up grazing. The molinia here has been grazed though and is looking good. Laura

Transited area east to west at about midday but had no sight of cattle.

Jill looker report Sat 12th

found them all grazing intently and moving quite quickly westward at about R15 this afternoon. They looked fine and were far too busy eating to take much notice of anything.

Late Risers?

Al l 13 were lying down in the old pit right up at the west end of the Whale Tail (S5) at 0815 this morning. They all seemed content and I was reluctant to get them to their feet to check them out any more. It looked as though this was where they might have spent the night although a few of them appeared to be chewing the cud.

this morning 7/30 am the cattle were at the western end of the horse pond nine were lying in the new bracken growing on the area the other four were on the hillside just to the south of the long bottom track only one was standing grazing not able to get a very good look at them

Elliotts Looker report

Hello all,

I was on site checks this week and found the cattle in J28/J29 all lying down in the shade of the oaks and chewing the cud. I spent 15 minutes looking at them all over and noticed one had a bit of a stiff rear right leg (300038) It did not look in too much pain so something just to keep an eye on if it gets worse.

Elliott

today 7/30 am the cattle were at grids o 25/26 all thirteen were there just standing in a group I watched them for 15 mins they all look ok

Between Horse Pond & Jubilee Clump - all appeared well.

More Fence Cutting

I found the fence cut today at F34 on at the last strainer before the Royal Pavillion fence. A top wire had broken up on Sandy Hill, but I think this has looked dodgy for a while. Both are fixed.

The cattle themselves were in the woods at I30 around 1 pm, and all were present and looked good. I suppose they were seeking some shade as the day warmed up.

Dave J

7/30 am today the cattle were spread widely near the horse pond ,eight were on the hillside to the south of the pond ,the other five were on the track under the trees to the south of the long bottom track making their way eastwards,to wide spread to say what grids any were in ,I got close to most of them they all looked well coats nice and clean no runny noses eyes all clear

jill's looker report

Saturday All 13 were wandering purposefully westwards along the bottom track at about F21. They seemed fine at F21 lots of eating and head butting.

About 12:00 all in SW part of Tail and seemingly in good order. Pair of larks nesting nearby.

Fence Repairs

Did the site check this afternoon and repaired a section of cut stock netting near the crumbling bunker on Sandy Hill, then went on to find all 13 grazing gently on the grass shoots coming through the burnt gorse patch near the blue barrel(15.45). All were really eating with gusto, and had been for a while judging by the black gorse stem steaks on their muzzles!

7/30 this morning the cattle were spread around near the blue barrel all thirteen were there ,all looked ok, as I watched they moved off along the north side of the horse pond grazing on the new grass coming through where the fire was several weeks ago ,they continued going towards the pavillion end

Traversed area from E to W via Jubilee Clump but had no sighting of cattle.

well after weeks of looking I finally found cattle today 8/00 am ,they were at the eastern end of the horse pond two were lying on the track at the end of the pond ,the rest were lying under the trees a bit further on ,they looked a lot better than the last time I saw them ,all thirteen were there two are still looking a bit thin the rest I thought looked very well I stayed with them for around 10 mins all were chewing the cud,,

No sighting today

this morning i cycled around the area for over 2 hours and not a sign of them any where

Six under Jubilee Clump (Caesar's Camp) near demolished rifle range butts; remainder not sighted.

did not find cattle on my walk this morning but as I came home in the car from church crookham they were in the gravel pits at the beacon hill end

16.15, i found all 13 at the foot of Caesars camp at K21 centre, all were lying down most were chewing the cud with a few sleeping all looked o/k

8 seen

Hello
8 cattle seen chewing the cud at Q20 at about 4.30pm. No sign of the other 5 after a good drive round.
Alex

no cows today

13.00, i cycled around the whale tail, over to Caesars camp then down to the pond and decided not to go any further down long bottom as the army were shooting today so i cycled up the track and back to beacon hill entrance and no sign of the cattle.

Yesterday (sun) the cattle were just to the east of the sandy area that was a firing range, all thirteen were there all slowly walking and grazing as they went ,I was not very close so did not get a very good look at them but all looked ok ,went to the same area today but no sign of them

only a quick walk today due to doctors appointment so only saw some of the cattle in the far distance they were on the windy gap area again I only saw four but would think the rest were close by

the cattle today 8.00 am were near the covered reservoir ,roughly grids h i 18 19 all were grazing ,they appeared to be ok from where I was looking ,the top of the hill near the seats all thirteen were there

Site Checks

Hello. Been out today to check the cattle and saw all of them (i think?) in and around G22 and G23. All appeared well. One of the black, thin cows is still ever so slightly lame but not limping, just appears a bit stiff-legged. All eating well on the fresh growth which is coming through thick and fast now.

Laura

this morning 7.30 eleven of the cattle were spread over the area shown on the grid map as windy gap ,the other two were in grids l 19 20 ,I was not very close to the main group they were slowly moving grazing as they went ,the other two were grazing at the side of the track these two looked ok ,unable to see the condition of the others as I was on the top of the hill near the seats

About 12.00 - all on Bricksbury Hill and looking contented enough.

Two motor bikes seen coming from direction of gas station on Odiham Road - reported to Military Police.

I shall be away next Monday. Perhaps someone would like to take on the cattle reporting for the day.

I found all 13 this morning 7 30 am spread widely grids r 19 20 21, 3 were lying down the rest were slowly moving around grazing as they went ,they then started to move off towards the area below the flooded gravel pit ,I noticed two of the black ones are a bit skinny but I would expect them to improve with the better grazing now available, I did not see one limping .

0.900, i found all 13 slowly walking from Caesars camp to graze at M17 - N51.14.497W000.48.503.
The black cow 300038 was limping and looks quite skinny
the others looked o/k.

Assistance with woodlark monitoring

Hello
Woodlarks are one of the rarest birds in the UK, but there is a good population nesting on the heaths around Fleet and Aldershot.
An ornithologist is working with us to find out if the cattle are having an impact on the breeding succes of the woodlark (either positive or negative). He is locating the nests and counting the young. We even have cameras set up on some of the nests to find out what is going on.
In order to find out what impact the cattle are having on the birds it is useful to know where they hang about.
Therefore it would be really great to try and get accurate locations of the cattle when you see them. This could be using the grid references on the looker map (with more detail such as R28, NE corner) or, if you have access to one, a GPS grid reference.
Don't worry if you can't manage this - but the more data we collect, the more accurate our study will be.
Many thanks, and I will keep you updated with any findings.
Alex

twice in one day!

Having seen them for the first time on Saturday, I saw them before 7am this morning and now on the drive home in T7! All together - great stuff.

16.40 i eventually tracked them down at T4 in the whale tail, they were all lying down chewing the cud, they all looked o/k but i did notice a black one, number 300038 looking a bit thin on the hind quarters.

All 13 seen

Hello
I was out looking at woodlark nests with a local ornithologist yesterday. I saw all the cattle at the pond R11 at about noon.
One was still limping, but nothing too serious.
Alex

I got as far as Bricksbury Hill from where I could see 8 cattle at the far and southern end of the Tail. I assume that the other 5 were with them.

at 16.15 i found all 13 at approx R15, most were lying down enjoying the afternoon sun and chewing the cud, all looked o/k although the flies are starting to increase in numbers.

at about 14.00 i found all 13 near the longbottom track at about R18-19, most were lying down chewing the cud and the few that were up were grazing, all looked o/k.

at 10.30 this morning i found all 13 at approx j28,most were lying down chewing the cud with a couple walking around grazing, all looked o/k

17th April - Jill looker report

Just been up to Caesar's Camp and all 13 were relaxing around the boggy tumuli near the whale's tail. They looked ok and content, though several look as if they have recently had quite a loss of hair from their backs, though it seems to be regrowing now
Jill

Cattle Back on Site

The farmer has put 13 cattle back on site today. Please keep an eye on them and let us know how they are getting on.
Many thanks Laura

Fence checking

No cattle on site at the moment as they are off for TB testing, so I checked the fenceline. No damage to report except to the plastic signs on the gates, four of which were replaced.

sorry to read about the loss of 201 the only good outcome is I will not need to carry on looking for her I had hoped to find her looking ok

Sad News

Jamie and I spent just over three hours today searching for the missing cow, mainly on foot. Sadly at about 13.00 we found her body in a small stand of scrub,where it looks like she died quietly. It was cow 201, the one that was rescued from the mud, so perhaps that ordeal finally took its toll. The grazier has been informed and is arranging for the removal of the remains.

Again, no sign of the missing cow

Hello
I spent yesterday afternoon driving around Caesar's Camp, but to no avail.
Please keep an eye out for her. We will continue to look until she turns up.
Thanks
Alex

No luck

Hello. Spent the morning driving around the site looking for the missing cow but had no luck in finding her. I half expected her to be around the blue barrel or near the corral as she may be able to smell where the others were loaded up but alas she was not! However as you all know you can drive or walk straight passed them sometimes and not see them so hopefully she is ok and I just missed her.

Someone from the team will go out again tomorrow to look again. If no luck again then we will have to plan a more systematic search with more people. Please let us know if this is something you might be able to help with on Thursday or Friday of this week at all? Please email AlexC@hwt.org.uk or give the office a ring 01256 381190 if you can help.

Thanks Laura

p.s. on a more positive note I saw my first Brimstone butterfly of the year today on site in this beautiful sunshine!

11 taken off for TB testing

Hello
The farmer had to take the cattle off today for mandatory TB testing.
He could only find 11, so there is one left on site. The farmer thinks that she is an all-black one.
Please keep your eyes open for the remaining cow, hopefully she is okay, and feeling a bit lonely. If you see her, get in touch and we can take her off for her TB test.
Many thanks
Alex

I must have seen the same two as ivan same place at around 8/am likewise unable to find the rest despite a wide search of surrounding area

After covering the length of Long Bottom I only managed to find two - within 100 yards Jubilee Clump - both seemed fine.

Attack by dog

Hello
Last night (about 5.30pm) we recieved a call from a walker on Caesar's Camp. She had witnessed a dog attacking one of the cattle, which had been injured around the muzzle. The farmer and I went up there to find her.
Thankfully she is not badly injured, and we were happy to leave her on site. She has cuts to the nose and mouth, and blood on her muzzle.
The police have been called and have visited the offending dog owner.
The other 11 were with her at the 'feed station'.. All looked fine.
As ever, please do get in touch with us if you have any concerns or with the police if it is a similar emergency.
Many thanks
Alex

About 10 AM - I counted 8 (but may well have been more) down on old rifle ranges to north of Jubilee Clump. They were too far away to note any details but were moving to NW.

on my back home today I 8/30 I met the cattle ,they were spread over the hillside below the track at sandy hill road, all twelve were there I managed to get close to seven of them they all looked ok ,the other five were in the gorse browsing from what I could see they were ok ,the muddy one is still getting clean and looks ok .

All 12 OK on Sandy Hill

I found all 12 this afternoon in S15. Four were at the top of Sandy hill muching grass and the rest spread down the hill in the woods eating mostly very old gorse. They looked wet and a bit fed up. One or two were very thin around the tail but all were walking OK, eating and responsive.

I Checked the fence where it often gets cut. The top wire had come adrift in a few places, which was repaired, but nothing deliberate.

I only found five cattle yesterday 7/15 am they were in a small group of trees grid p/ 23 unable to find the rest , today I found them all 7/45 they were among the trees and undergrowth grid m 20/21 six were lying down the rest standing it looked as though they had spent the night there they all looked ok

at about 14.00 i found 6 at the end of longbottom track M28ish and the other 6 near the blue barrel on the track North of the pond, all looked ok but wet in the rain and were standing chewing the cud.

I see they are not moving very far - midday all about half way between Horse Pond and upper (southern) end Long Bottom - condition unchanged.

I first saw the cattle as I came on to site they were on the hillside above the barrel ,before I got to where I had seen them they were at the barrel, all twelve were there I noticed their coats are beginning to look better two brown and white ones in particular are looking very good, the one that was stuck in the mud seems to be cleaning herself up ,I watched them for 10 mins then they started to move off eastwards along the track at the north side of the horse pond I then left for home norman.

I only saw three cattle today 8/30 am ,I was on my way home after not finding them, as I got to the gate where I leave site three came towards me along the track at the back of bricksbury hill estate ,I waited until they came past me 201 was one of them she is still grubby but looked ok they then went down the hill near the broken concrete building could see no sign of the rest. norman

All together at the Pond

Doing site checks today and found all twelve together at Horse Pond/Blue Barrel (12.15). 201 still a bit grubby but none the worse for wear! I first saw them from Sandy Hill/Hungry Hill track and a small brown terrier was yapping at them. One of the brown herefords moved off but the owner/child finally got the dog (Ellie?) on a lead.

the cattle this morning 7/50 am were among a small group of trees grid p 23 it looked as though they had spent the night there as I came back along the track behind bricksbury estate they had made their way up the hill to grid q 22 and were browsing on a large patch of gorse norman

8/00am today the cattle were at the barrel all 12 were there I watched for a few mins they then started to move off towards the long bottom track going eastwards they then started browsing the gorse at the western end of the horse pond I watched until 8/30 they all seemed ok norman

I came across the cattle this morning 7/30 am they were on top of the slope to the north side of the horse pond, I made my way across the heather to be able to count them ,good to find all twelve were there ,6 were lying down chewing the cud the others were spread around grazing on the heather ,I kept my distance so as not to disturb those lying down so did not get a good look at them norman

7.15 am today the cattle were lying among the trees and undergroth near where the feed blocks had been put out a few days ago, I could only count eleven I hope the missing one was not the onethan had been trapped in the mud and was still feeling the effects of her ordeal ,I will have a better look tomorrow, at the time I was unaware that one had had this problem or I would have had a better look around . norman

201 Stuck in the mud

We had a report of a cow stuck in the mud on the track above Horse pond (K 25?). Steve the Warden found her and together we tried to get her out with a bit of digging and the lure of a bucket of nuts but to no avail. We then called the Fire Service who were on the scene within minutes and used their skills and equipment to start to get 201 out of the VERY STICKY SANDY GULLEY. We ended manually hauling the beast up onto the track and safety. (12.30)
The superb crew then hosed down and left it to us to supervise the cows recovery.

Mike had bought more nuts and hay so we fed the cold cow and gave her water. She tried, roughly every 15 minutes, to get on her feet and when Mike lured the rest of the Herd over with more nuts 201 tried very hard and managed to get up but could not stand. The other cows licked her and there was a lot of calling and it seemed like the herd were encouraging her to get back on her feet. (15.30)

Rob came and decided that a Calcium Drink would help her overcome the stress of being stuck and recovered and should get her up and bouncing again. 201 was alert thoughout this adventure and showed good spirit so we hope she'll be up and about soon.

Lot's of passers by and dog walkers expressed concern and all were thoughtful enough to make sure that their dogs were on a close lead before they passed the grounded cow. This responsible approach was very pleasing to witness.

The other 11 were fine , and enjoyed a hay supplement, so hopefully tomorrow the twelve will be up and about. Fingers crossed!

Today 8am the cattle were fairly well spread four were roughly grids q 20 21 the rest were spread o 21 22 unable to get close . norman

at 12.30 i found 6 at roughly P23 just off long bottom heading towards the blue barrel, grazing on the way,those i saw looked o/k.

today 8am all 12 were at the broken troop shelter having a good go at the feed blocks that had been put out ,I noticed four of the black and white ones were at one block quite strongly pushing one another away to get a lick of the block, the others were at the other block quietly moving into place to get a lick, I watched for 10 mins they then all settled down ,although they are a bit thin I thought they looked ok ,I did notice the one with the small white spot in her eye it seems she is being attended to norman

All 12 seen (again)

Hello
All 12 were lying down, cudding at the edge of the woodland at about M21. I gave them a couple of feed blocks, so they may stay round there for a day or so.
One of the black ones has New Forest Eye (a small white spot in the centre of the eye) which the farmer is treating.
Good to see that Norman is up and about.
Alex

the cattle this morning 8.15 am were at the blue barrel all twelve were there the black ones have bare patches on their bodies I stood watching them and talking to them for 20 mins I was about 3 mtrs from them their mouths and noses were all clear their eyes were clear and bright then they started to move off eastwards up the hillside to the north side of the horse pond I am pleased to be walking my dog again and to be able to find the cattle again norman

Jill's Blog

Dear Laura and Elliott,

I only had a little time to look on Saturday and couldn’t see the cattle so I went back on Sunday morning and found 11 at about Q22 at about 9am where they were grazing peacefully on the slopes. Several of the black ones still seemed to have bald patches. I am glad they were out of the way of the Army mountain bike circuit!!

Many thanks,

Jill

All 12 together grazing round Horse Pond at about 11 AM

11 then 12

I found 11 cows at Heath End (O26) browsing the gorse at 1530 this afternoon. I circled around where they were looking for one more, finding only a plump looking deer on the slope down to Long Bottom. Whilst walking back to my car I came across number 12 mosying along to meet her pals. They all seemed OK if in some cases a little bony.

Burnt out car!

Hi

Last night a car was driven through the stock fence and burnt out near the total garage on the A325. I patched up the fence and the MOD are dealing with the abandoned car.

Scary or Just Hairy

Does a sign on the gate saying ‘Cattle Grazing including a Bull’ make you feel unsure? Ever wondered how to walk through a reserve with cattle in it? Or how best to behave when you come across a cow with calf on your walk? Let the Grazing Project Staff ease your fears by introducing you to the cattle at Pondtail. Get up close to the cows, learn about attitudes (yours and the cows’) and how to adapt your behaviour to negotiate a herd safely and confidently.

This event may be subject to cancellation in the event of MOD training so booking is essential.

Date: 27 February 2010
Time: 2-3.30pm
Location: Meet on the heath at the end of Pondtail Road (Map ref. SU 826 541). Please park with consideration to local residents.
Suggested Donation: £1.50
Booking Essential? Yes
Contact: Laura Fairs, LauraF@hwt.org.uk or 01256 381190

10.30, i found all 12 at roughly R 17 on the longbottom track, they were all grazing and as Steve has mentioned a few have ringworm. one of the black ones has a bad case of ring worm and has a couple of sores.

My daughter took my dog for her walk again mon 25 th 1/30 pm she found all of the cattle spread over the hillside below the sandy hill road

Jill's Friday looker report

All twelve

Later on Saturday afternoon all twelve were grazing peacefully at about O 21. They seemed quite content for me to keep them company for a while as they grazed on the heather and gorse. I agree with the others that several look rather bony.

Many thanks

Jill

PS Do you know if the bull who was at Caesar’s Camp in now a field near the main A287 near Newlyn’s Farm? He looked familiar!

All at the Horse Pond

I found all 12 cows spread out around the Horse Pond (~M24) at 0900 this morning browsing from the gorse, silver birch and broom. Some are looking quite bony (tag 300036 for example) and a couple of the all black ones look like they have ringworm. Tag 700056 has bare patches on both sides and some are raw where she has been rubbing them. Red tag 78 has bare patches on her left side. All but 700056 seemed relatively content.

Saturday 10.00 i managed to count 11 just North of the pond at roughly N22. all were grazing the heather and looked o/k.

my daughter took my dog for a walk yesterday as I am unable to walk at the moment she told me she met the cattle at the barrel at 1pm so they,must have moved on before keith drove round norman

Only Seven spotted

Doing the site checks today but only found seven cattle (2 Aberdeen Angus and 5 Hereford) browsing the shrubs by the horse pond (15.00). Drove round and about but no further joy.

I found the cattle this morning 8 15 am they were all there by the blue barrel ,I watched them for 30 mins they were pushing one another about to get at the barrel ,I stayed until they started to move away westwards along the track to the north side of the horse pond although still looking a bit thin they all looked ok ,except for one of the all black ones not the one with the red tag in her ear but the other one ,I was unable to get her tag n,o to many hairs covering it she appears to have a small white spot in her right eye . norman

About 11AM - 5 by Horse Pond and remaining 7 about 500 yards further down Long Bottom on east side.   

3 seen

Hi there
Long time, no blog. Not through lack of looking, or rather, lookering but rather nothing to add. However, today I can report seeing 3 cows this afternoon at the top of the slope above the Horse Pond. If it had been drier, I would have sought out more but the scrub, slush and drizzle somehow sapped my enthusiasm. Great to report cattle activity!
Happy new year!

Signs but no Cows

I went to look for the cows late this morning when the rain stopped in Fleet. The weather was not so fair on Caesars Camp where it was drizzling and the visibility was poor. As a result I must have walked past them on the way to the feeding site at Bricksbury where I found plenty of signs of their recent presence but no actual cows. I walked back via the old pits but still no luck.

I met 6 of the cattle feeding on hay left out near the feild gate at the end of bricksbury estate I stayed about 20 mtrs from so as not to frighten them the feed I watched them for about 15 mins from this distance they all looked ok .norman

Wedesday 13 and Thursday 14

Hello
As you will be aware, we are now feeding the cattle hay. 7 of them are hanging around the field gate behind Bricksbury Hill Road (25P) and the other 5 are over at 7S. This is where we are feeding them and they will probably hang around there until we stop.
They are currently getting about 1/2 a bale of hay a day each, as well as the gorse and heather that they can get to, but some of them are looking a bit skinny so we will be putting out some high concentrate feed for them and possibly remove them if they don't start improving.
In addition, one of the black ones at 25P has a mild case of New Forest Eye, causing it's eye to be a bit milky. The farmer has treated it, but it is worth keeping a look out for.
Thanks for all your help during this busy time.
Alex

I have just come home from walking my dog ,I found 5 cattle 9 am roughly grids o 26 27 they appeared to have feeding on some hay that had been put out a short distance away ,I was only able to get close to one she was slipping her way down one of the tracks I watched until she turned into the undergrowth I then returned home .norman

About 11 AM - 7 head by Horse Pond heading down Long Bottom and about 2 hours later remaining 7 at southern end Sandy Hill heading west.  Having lost a lot of weight over past month or two their condition now appears to have stabilised.

The small black beasts have a much larger belly compared to frame than the others.  Nevertheless one of them appears exceptionally rounded. Is it possible that it is with calf ?

Cattle welfare

Just to reassure you all - the Farmer is feeding the cattle with hay while there is snow on the ground so they do have access to additional food as well as what is on site. At this time of year cattel on heaths tend to eat gorse and heather anyway (even if it wasn't snowy) and fortunately this is the vegetation that is most likely to be accessible to them (as it is taller) in the snow as well so they can and will still eat this too.

There is plenty of running water on site which the cattle can access too. They also still have the 'blue barrel' which provides them with nourishment.

Jills looker report Sat/Sun 9th / 10th

I went up to Caesar's Camp on Sat but souldn't find the cattle so I had another go on Sunday.

I found 7 amoungst the trees at about S13. They were looking rather subdued and were hungry. Each time i tried to clear the snow off some gorse for them, they rushed to it, pushing me out of the way! One black one looked especially thin and a couple of local dog walkers asked how they were as they had been worried about whetehr they ahd enough food and water.

Though i looked around almost the entire site, I only saw skiers, boarders and sledgers but couldn't see the other cattle.

Jill

I have been unable to walk my dog since we had the deep snow ,I am unstable on my feet so my oldest grandson took her out for a walk for me,he told me when he came back that he had seen 7 cows feeding on some hay that had been put out near the field gate at the end of the bricksbury estate grids p 25 26 hopeI will soon be able to go out again norman

I found cattle again this morning 8 am ,about 250 mtrs on from where they were yesterday ,near to the area where they hold the talmag motorcycle trial ,again feeding on gorse also branches of the pine trees ,I was able to get quite close to most today apart from looking a bit skinny they seem to be ok ,all twelve were there.norman

About 12.00 - no change.

8 15 this morning I found cattle they were in the trees grids p 24 25 feeding on the gorse I was unable to get close as they were pushing their way through the gorse they looked ok from the distance norman

I met cattle this morning 8.30 am they were feeding along the fence line behind bricksbury estate there was only 10 could not see the other two it looks as if feed is hard to find at the moment I did pull some handfulls of grass from outside the fence but only 185 would come to take it norman

New Year Sighting

All 12 were grazing close to the gate to Upper Hale at S15 at ~1200 today. All looked well if a little stiff. One of the all black ones and the light coloured one were limping slightly on one hind leg.