Saturday 8th November - All 25 seen

At 08:50 this morning, the cattle were grazing contentedly in the thicket near ///cracks.into.judges, at the Royal Pavilion end of the site. They were enjoying a mix of leaves from the surrounding bushes and trees before gradually moving into the grassy area to the northeast to rest and chew their cud. All were very friendly, happily accepting strokes and rubs as I made my way around checking on them. They especially enjoyed long neck rubs and back scratches — at one point, there was even a little queue as they patiently waited their turns! They were all happy, relaxed, and looking really well. The herd stood together in small groups, quietly chewing their cud. When the sun broke through, they all lay down to rest, enjoying the warmth. A few came over for extra back and shoulder rubs before settling beside me. Youngster 222 was especially affectionate again today, staying close for long neck rubs and thanking me with gentle head nudges. Unfortunately, the sunshine also brought a few flies, prompting several of the cattle to wander into the surrounding trees to find some shade. Around 11:45, the herd began making their way through the woodland, following Sunny Hill Road down to the grassy area east of the Sandy Bowl. Some paused along the way to forage for acorns. Once there, they spread out to graze, enjoying the lush grass in the warm sunshine, with a few stopping to drink from puddles. Many of the youngsters returned for another round of strokes before rejoining the main group, who had settled down to rest and chew their cud. I said my goodbyes just after 12:30, leaving them all resting peacefully. The cows were all good today.