Saturday 10th January - All 25 seen - Several of the Sussex cattle have bald patches on their coats that appear consistent with mites.

It was a bit of a moveable feast today, with the cattle shifting between groups and keeping the search interesting.

At 09:15, steers 35, 217, and 222, along with cows 72, 234, and 940, were browsing gorse on Sandy Hill near ///acids.into.party. They soon emerged from the bushes to greet me and enjoy some strokes and rubs, before gathering in the sunshine beside the main path. All six were happy, relaxed, and looking well.

By 09:55, the seven Sussex cattle, together with steers 33 and 219 and cow 214, were grazing at the western end of Sandy Hill. Most were browsing gorse, while a few grazed on frost‑tipped grass. Sussex steer 210 and cows 211 and 1396 then made their way down the slope to Longbottom, before crossing into the dense gorse to continue grazing.

I continued east along Sandy Hill, breaking the ice on several more puddles to provide additional drinking water. At 10:55, I found steers 21, 30, and 227 resting in the sunshine at their favourite Sandy Hill corner. About ten minutes later, steer 20 emerged from the gorse and joined them. All four were calm, relaxed, and content.

By 11:15, youngsters 228 and 230, along with yearling 270, were lying comfortably in the bracken on the slope west of Horse Pond near ///ounce.balance.casino. They enjoyed plenty of strokes while resting and were all looking well.

At 11:40, youngster 220 and yearling 271 were happily browsing gorse on the slope of Sandy Hill near ///seeing.smiled.choice. They popped their heads through the bushes before coming over to say hello. Both were relaxed and in good condition.

Finally, at 12:05, I caught up with Sussex steer 210 and cows 211 and 1396 browsing gorse on higher ground along the southern side of James Bond Pond. Cow 211 particularly enjoyed having loose gorse brushed from her back, responding with plenty of licks. To the southwest, the remainder of their group had merged with the first group of six and were standing in the sunshine on the grass track. They then moved into the pasture to lie down in the heather near ///rental.vets.helpfully. I said my goodbyes shortly after 12:40.

I did notice that several of the Sussex cattle have bald patches on their coats that appear consistent with mites. However, I appreciate that, given the current weather conditions, it isn’t possible to spray them at present.

The cows were all good today.