Thursday 31st - no sightings

Walked, wrapped up, with Bernie the whippet at 09.00-10.00 from Shell Garage to Beacon Hill side and no sightings.  What I did notice is lots and lots of dog mess.  Unfortunately, people do not seem to be picking up and taking away.  I wonder if a gently reminder on a sign at the Shell Garage entrance might prompt people?

Full house for this week

I searched for the two that Kurt couldn't get on Monday and found both 120 and 135 along past Sandy Hill.

I dropped off a couple of licks to the two herds I saw.

They were elusive today though with none visible from the viewpoint. Also saw: 176, 147, 165, 155, 168, 159, 177, 021, 023. Mainly the 7 youngsters only yards from where they were on Monday.

Tuesday 29th Jan

9 found on the slopes off Sandy Hill track and in Long Bottom by Horse Pond. Number 20 has only 1 ear tag. Otherwise all looking well.
20/33/125/118/127/30/1940/72/35

Happy heather muncher!

Monday

18 found. In 3 herds
7 little ones on the high ground eating heather and molinia after there treat of nuts I watched them for a while they seemed fine eating and moving was nice and calm.
30,33,35,72,118,125,127,940 was heading up sandy hill along the grass track, browsing on the gorse and eating grass.
20,21,23 has in the gorse way off from the other herds the other 2 could of been with them but didn’t  come out when called, light was fading and no more time to search.
All looked ok.

( 135 and 120 not seen )

A few more

Very late on Sunday afternoon and found a group of 8 in a very think patch of gorse around S8.  The group included 30, 33, 35, 118, 125, 940 (who must have given up her supervisory duties for the youngsters), a black and white one with a white mark between her horns and a black face and a brown and white one with two green tags - the failing light and thick gorse prevented me from their catching numbers.   All seemed fine.

Just the youngsters

As is becoming a habit for me, only found the youngsters, being minded this time by 940.  They were close to the lick in the area of mounds near the Beacon Hill entrance and seemed fine.  Very busy grazing!  Looked for others across quite a bit of the site, but zilch.

No sightings today

We walked for a couple of hours this morning, from the Sandy Hill entrance, around to the Lookout, down to the Horsepond and back, without seeing a single cow. Sorry!

Thursday 24th - Spotted 14

Hurray, finally saw 14.  7 little ones by the Shell Entrance busily grazing and moving.  7 larger ones down by the water at Shell entrance, again moving and grazing.  Sorry Guy, will try to get tags next time, distracted by a friend and her whippet and then they had moved on.  Then just logged in and saw your request.

Hozaaah full house, at last!

A small herd of the lil'uns appeared with adults near the pits/ Beacon Hill Rd entrance like the first lot i found. 

Started snowing, and a big herd together so i thought I would give them a 3td lick. That and i couldn't find my first lick in the same place?  Surely they couldn't have gone through it already?!

Found 12 of them in 2 herds. Need to come back tomorrow. Also found 2 breeches in the fence line, one major breech! Sigghh...

One herd found in the pits nearest to Beaconhill Rd, the other lot in the gorse behind the lookout point.

Got numbers. If anyone else by some miracle finds anymore, please do try to get some tags for me 👍 I would be most grateful. Fence breeches took quite a bit of my time today. Have to come back tomorrow after Longmoor

2 x licks given out.

All 4 strands of barb were cut leaving a free pass directly onto the A325 (Farnborough Rd) behind the old Pavillions. Nice. The next was also leading to same rd but farther down towards Lorrel (now protected by new fence) and pedestrian gate. Some serious work has been done to reduce a trees limbs and canopy nr the rd there!

7 seen

Lovely cold bright morning. We found 7 cows at about L17, grazing slowly and happily. Sorry, not close enough to see ear tags. There were lots of people about, walkers, lots and lots of dogs , runners and cyclists.

Some, not all!

Found the youngsters, being minded by 127, down at N27 late Saturday afternoon, and then seven more up at Q13.  All those I saw were busy grazing and looked fine, just slightly distracted by the high volume of soldiers training (and shouting as several seemed to be getting a bit lost on a rather murky afternoon).

Thursday no sighting

Very blizzardy out there first thing this morning.  Poor visibility.  Walked to from Shell Garage to Ceasar's Camp and no sightings.  I must just keep missing them.....

Tuesday

They took some finding yesterday and I was out there for a few hours.
Eventually I found all the small ones tucked into the woodland near to the water works that area going on.  All looked fine and I dropped them a lick.

The rest were loosely spread out along the west side of the scarp of the encampment along the GCA boundary fence. 

All looking fine.  A lick was put on the heathy area back from this on the left of the track to the cattle grid.

Again all looking fine.

Very nearly a full house

13 were grazing and dozing close to the area where the contractors have their kit, opposite the garage, early afternoon on Sunday.  All were well and they were very relaxed.  One of the youngsters was among the group and the other six were a 200m away in the woodland.
I couldn't catch all the numbers but the missing one could have been 20 or 23 as I had passed those two earlier on the track behind Sandy Hills, and one might not have caught up with the rest of the group. 

Just the 7 youngsters

The 7 were on the top of Caesar's late this afternoon - looked fine.  They really do seem to like it up there!  No idea where the others were, but it was getting dark.....

Thursday no sighting

No sighting at 08.15-09.15 in or around Caesar's Camp.  Beginning to think they are avoiding me.....

Wednesday 9th January (late post)

Found the remaining four cattle yesterday morning. They'd linked up with some of the others and were at one of the places where I'd put a lick down.

All looking good.

Tuesday 8th February.

Beginning to think this herd don't like each other! After much searching today I managed to find 16 cattle and they were in four groups so they've really split up and dispersed recently.

I put a couple of licks out with the largest groups I found. One of those groups was the youngsters and they all got stuck into the lick straight away.

All cattle that I saw were looking pretty good, a few of them have dropped a bit of condition but not too bad at present and to be expected at this time of year.

The four that I didn't find are: #21, #30, #135 & #118. I'll get back over there tomorrow to try and find them

Sunday pm and two thirds in the central area

7 youngsters and 7 others (including 5 of the Shetlands) were well spread out around Q20 late this afternoon.  Several were very friendly and came to have a chat, and they all looked well and content.  No sightings of the others but it was a bit dark by then ..... Annoyingly, a trail bike was buzzing around; they might access via Beacon Hill as the gap next to the gate is now very wide.

Beautiful Friday late afternoon

Found 15 on top of the Camp late this afternoon, including all the little ones and some of the rapidly growing Shetlands and 940.  All were fine and seem to enjoy being the centre of attention for a group of walkers who thought they were all adorable!

Thursday 3rd

Counted 14 around sandy hill whist up replacing some fence post around 1-2pm
no little ones seen.

Thursday 3rd Jan

Walked from Shell Garage up and around Caesar's Camp, no sighting at 09.00.

Wednesday 2nd

20 21 23 118 135 120 125 127 was a herd around G20. Mid day 

30 940 33 35 72 was together close to sandy hill.

155 159 147 165 176 168 177 was later seen after changing flat tyre with the 8 I first cast my eyes on at James Bond pond. At around 15:40. 

All accounted for and no problems.