Wednesday 6th August - All 25 seen

All twenty-five cattle had recently gathered on the hillside near ///inert.back.budding at 17.10 this afternoon. A group of eight had wandered slightly further south into the thicket near the main path, drawn by a couple of trucks from the film production company, who were putting up signs. I had a friendly chat with four members of the team, who kindly shared their plans and asked several questions about the cattle they’d seen in recent days.

The rest of the herd was spread out across the surrounding area. After some grazing in the warm sunshine, many began to lie down, rest and chew their cud. Flies were once again a significant nuisance, so many cattle tucked themselves into the dense bracken to the north or settled in the shade close to bushes and trees. Those remaining in the open areas tended to huddle together for some relief from the flies.

Many of the cattle came over to say hello, enjoying head and neck rubs, or simply choosing to stand close. Youngster 219, who was being particularly bothered by the flies, stood close for a long head rub, especially enjoying having his ears gently rubbed. Youngster 222 was very affectionate, returning several times for long neck and shoulder rubs, and rewarding me with frequent head rubs and the occasional lick. The lump on cow 72’s neck had reduced again today, which is encouraging. Hopefully, it will disappear altogether soon.

By 18:30, the sky had clouded over, and the temperature began to cool. The cattle slowly got up and started grazing, enjoying plenty of heather, fresh grass, and leafy shrubs. A group of six steers—21, 217, 220, 228, 1626, and 1640—wandered west, reaching the area near ///policy.vivid.correctly by 18:40. Most of the others moved northeast to graze, while a few remained, resting on the hillside a little longer.

I said my goodbyes at 19:00, leaving the herd content, relaxed, and in good condition.

The cows were all good today.