T9 at 8.30am

At last I found the Cow and Calf, looking very relaxed in the woods in the whales tail.

yesterday, at about noon, I found cow and calf in woods about 200 yards north of water tower. Both looked well and undisturbed by the firing taking place not far away.

Cattle Walks

Dear All,
I hope that you will forgive me advertising these walks but I think that they may be interest you as you play such an important role in looking after the cattle.

Beef for Bats Thursday 28th July 17.30 – 21.30
Venue: Foxlease Meadows, Minley nr Fleet, GU17 9UF (nearest postcode) SU827 571
Car park: at end of track off A327
Price: £3 Adult, £2 Friends of Hampshire Fare, £2 Child
Booking Essential: 01256 381190

Join us for a walk to meet our cattle and learn about how they are benefiting wildlife. Then try some of the beef reared on a wildlife site and then join reserves officer Elliott Fairs as he listens out for bats on the reserve.

Beef for Butterflies Saturday 30th July 1400 – 1600
Venue: Noar Hill Nautre Reserve SU738 323.
Car park: Entrance to bridleway opposite Charity Cottage, nr Selborne GU34 3LW (nearest postcode)
Price: £3 Adult, £2 Friends of Hampshire Fare, £2 Child
Booking Essential: 01256 381190

Join us for a walk to meet our cattle and learn about how they are benefiting the butterflies. Then try some of the beef reared on a wildlife site. Please give us a bell if you would like to come along.

Many thanks
Lucy

R 20 11.00, 12.30 and 14.00

The cow and calf were hanging around the perimeter track between the old bunker and back toward the woodland at the top of Long Valley. Both were relaxed and barely looked up as a couple walked past with a dog. The dog was well behaved.

search party

Hi all,

just trying to get anyone who is free and willing together at 2pm today (sorry for short notice) to go a-hunting for possible sources of lead. Meeting at the gates on Bourley Road where there is a car park on both sides, just down from the pavillion entrance. the army signs should say fire point 22 or 21. I'm in the office for some of this morning or on 07503 570493 if you are free to help out. Many thanks.

Vicky

15.20, Calf and mother were on the track at R14, walking briskly North, both looked OK

Cow out with calf

Hi all,

We have failed to get the calf to bring it off Caesar's, despite some success luring it out of the cover using its mum as bait. We just couldn't catch it! So mum has been released on site to look after it.

vicky

5/7/11 15:30 S10

The calf was all alone and walking around in S10 at 15:30 todsay. I found him after we had carried out the first of the lead searches which unfortunayely came up blank. We started with all the pits at the western end of the site. There were 8 of us and we walked set tranbsects to try and be methodical but did not find anything apart from some litter which we bagged up for the MoD to collect.

We will ikely arrange another attempt so watch this space!

Elliott

Cattle removed from site

Unfortunately we have had to remove all of the cattle from Caesars Camp due to a couple more deaths over the weekend. So until we find the contamination and clear it up there will be no cattle on site. We will keep you all posted

Mike

7/30 am today cows and calves were grids p/q 20/21 most lying down unable to count ,they then started to get up and move slowly west ,I followed on getting very close to them I was able to get a good look at most of them ,they all seemed to be ok ,I followed them till they got to grids r 17/18 where they all stopped an started grazing or lying down again I left them 8/30

50 plus seen at 10.30 in steep bottom (G26). 35 +~bull? grazing on slopes with rest in close knit group under trees at bottom of slope.

lone cow +calf seen at g26 at 12.00. cow very protective of calf which was laying down but alert.

Lead poisoning

Hello
I'm afraid that the tests on the second dead cow have come back positive for lead poisoning.
This means that we may have to move the cattle off the site until we can locate and deal with the cause. The farmer will make a decision this weekend, and I will let you know what he has decided to do. They are likely to go to another site that we look after, Hawley Common near Yateley.

I would like to organise a search for the source of the lead. It is likely to be the same stuff that we had a couple of years ago, and hopefully in a similiar location. I have had a fairly good search but found nothing yet.
I would like to organise another search on Tuesday afternoon at 1pm. Volunteers would be very welcome, meeting in the layby opposite the Total garage on Odiham Road.

In the mean time, we have checked the cattle and all seem well. Please keep an eye out for erratic behaviour.
I'll keep you posted.
Many thanks
Alex