Saturday 6th September - All 25 seen

At 09:35 this morning, cows 211 and 234 were making the most of having no collars, happily grazing on the lush grass of Sandy Hill near ///across.navy.messy. Cow 211 was especially friendly, leaning in for a long neck rub and thanking me with gentle head rubs. At the bottom of the hill to the northeast, steers 30, 33, 227, and 228, along with cow 72, were also grazing contentedly. Before long, the boys began foraging for acorns. All seven were relaxed, happy, and in good condition.

By 10:10, steers 220, 270, and 271, together with cows 214 and 940, were grazing near ///store.dome.sniff, southwest of James Bond Pond. They had wandered down the path from the pond a short time earlier and were enjoying grass, heather, and leaves from the nearby bushes. All five were content, relaxed, and looking well.

At 10:40, as I was made my way towards Gelvert, I met Sussex steer 1626 on the path near ///muscular.foster.munch, just past the reserve's main entrance. He stopped for a head rub before continuing east on his own, having chosen not to follow the group he’d been grazing with earlier.

By 11:00, I found steers 210 and 219 grazing in the thicket near ///dreading.wool.jugs. Youngster 219 was particularly friendly, emerging from the bushes and crossing a swampy patch to greet me, before enjoying an extended back rub in the warm sunshine. Afterwards, he got back to grazing in the tall grass. At 11:40, Sussex steers 197 and 1640, along with cows 212 and 1396, were grazing in the dense bracken about 150 metres to the northwest. Thankfully, they all poked their heads through the bushes so I could check them. Cow 212 was standing in a very swampy spot, so I couldn’t get close enough for a full check, but all six appeared happy and healthy.

By noon, steers 20, 35, 217, and 230 were grazing and foraging for acorns in the woodland east of James Bond Pond near ///exists.mime.cookie. The damaged section of steer 35's left rear hoof has now broken away, and he was walking much more comfortably today. All four were relaxed and in good condition, though they were bothered by flies.

At 12:40, youngster 222 was grazing near ///lend.fetching.clever, west of the Lookout. Older steer 21 was nearby, browsing leaves from the trees to the east. He soon came over for a long neck and chin rub, followed by a satisfying back scratch. He was very affectionate, leaning in for cuddles and showering me with licks. By 12:55, the pair had set off southwest, stopping occasionally to graze or enjoy a few more strokes. I said my goodbyes about fifteen minutes later as they neared the woodland northeast of James Bond Pond. 

At 13:45, I was driving past Gelvert and stopped for a quick extra check on the group of six. They were lying beneath the trees near the larger fishing lake, resting peacefully and chewing their cud. Cow 212 was perfectly fine and happily enjoyed a back scratch while lying down.

The cows were all good today.