Sunday 13th July - All 25 seen

At 09:20 this morning, twelve members of the Caesar's original herd were grazing in the shade of the bushes and trees at the foot of Sandy Hill, near ///presses.stress.squaring. They were happily munching on the grass growing around the bracken and browsing on leaves from the trees. It was already a warm morning, so they were taking frequent breaks to rest in the shade. The cattle were very friendly, pausing to say hello as I checked on them. Gradually, they tried to move further up the hill, but their collars prevented them from doing so. By 09:45, they'd had enough and made their way east to Horse Pond for a drink. It was especially nice to see cow 940 grazing enthusiastically this morning.

When they arrived at Horse Pond, several of the other originals were already having a paddle off the southern bank, taking the chance to cool off before gathering under the trees to the west. Meanwhile, youngsters 222 and 230 were happily swimming among the lily pads a little further out, clearly enjoying themselves. The rest of the herd — including the seven Sussex cattle — were already settled under the trees when the group arrived. It was considerably cooler there, and the cattle had made a wise choice to retreat to the shade.

Under the trees, the group frequently jostled for space, with some squeezing into tight spots and snapping a few branches as they moved around. Despite this, they remained calm and friendly, with many coming over to say hello and happily letting me brush the flies from their faces. Youngster 222 emerged from the pond at 10:45 and came straight over for a greeting, offering gentle head rubs and licks despite being soaking wet. He then wandered off to join the others in the shade — though he soon returned for a little more attention.

By 11:15, the cattle had spread further west into the trees, with some reaching almost as far as the path at the far end. They gradually settled down to rest, chewing their cud in the cool shade. They were all happy, relaxed, and looking well. I reluctantly said my goodbyes not long after and headed back out into the heat.

The cows were all good today.