Sunday 11th May - All 25 seen

Nine members of the Caesar's original herd were well spread out grazing in the pasture near ///chair.inches.light at 10:45 this morning. They were all enjoying plenty of fresh grass while trying to stay in the shade and avoid the warm sunshine. Youngster 230 was grazing alone in the thicket further east near ///clay.fumes.turkey. He was very friendly, coming over to say hello and enjoying a long neck and back rub, rewarding me with gentle head rubs. Around 11:25, cow 214 and steer 219 joined us. All ten cattle were happy, relaxed, and looking well.

At 11:35, steer 228 was grazing contentedly on the hillside near ///shock.origin.ropes. A little later, Sussex cows 212 and 1396, along with steer 1640, were found grazing further southwest near ///rocket.upset.upset. They were slowly making their way west, heading in the direction of Horse Pond.

At 11:50, older steers 20, 21, and 35 were grazing in the shade at the southwest end of the pasture where the first group of nine had been seen earlier. The boys were happily grazing and in good condition.

By midday, the initial group of ten, along with youngster 228, had settled under the trees near ///life.hunt.drape. It was a relief to see them out of the sun and resting in the shade, though the large number of flies meant they weren't entirely comfortable.

At 12:30, cows 72 and 940 were standing nose to tail under the shade of the trees at their favourite Sandy Hill corner. They were doing a good job of keeping the flies off each other, swishing their tails and rubbing their heads against each other's bodies. Yearling 271 was resting nearby, contentedly chewing his cud. He was happy for me to stand close to help swish away a few flies while he relaxed. All three were looking well.

Finally, at 12:50, the remaining four Sussex cattle were found grazing in the thicket west of James Bond Pond. They were enjoying plenty of leaves from the many bushes, with a pleasant breeze helping to keep them cool. All four were happy, relaxed, and looking well.

The cows were all good today.