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