Wednesday 21st January - All 24 seen - Fallen tree lying across the perimeter fence near Farnborough Road

Shortly after arriving on site at 14:45, I noticed a fallen tree lying across the  perimeter fence near ///tribes.fuels.richer, close to Farnborough Road. Steers 20 and 270 were just arriving from the northeast to browse the fallen leaves. I kept a close watch to ensure they did not step over the flattened fence and informed HIWWT. Fortunately, Alice was already on site supervising conservation volunteers and was able to drive over to begin addressing the damage.

It was a wet, windy, and thoroughly miserable afternoon, and the cattle were all soaking wet. Twelve members of the Caesar’s original herd were gathered near the eastern end of the Sandy Bowl, sensibly sheltering from the rain in small groups beneath the trees. Cow 940 and youngster 222 were to the south of the area, while steers 30 and 217 grazed to the north. The remaining eight were foraging for acorns in the woodland to the east. As I moved around checking on them, they were all very friendly. Many enjoyed having the rain brushed from their backs and sides before settling into long neck rubs. During a brief break in the weather, several gathered in the waterlogged grassy area to rest and chew their cud. All fourteen were happy, relaxed, and in good condition.

At 15:50, steers 33, 230, and 271, along with Sussex cow 212, were sheltering from the heavy rain in woodland near ///incur.wager.items, approximately 270 metres northeast of the water tower. About 140 metres further west, the remaining five Sussex cattle were alternating between resting and foraging for acorns. During a short lull in the rain, youngster 219 ventured out to graze on some grass. All ten were content, relaxed, and looking well.

After saying my goodbyes to this group, I returned at 16:30 to see if I could assist Alice. By then she had been joined by Sean and Zoe, who were carrying out a temporary repair to the fence. The fourteen cattle were sheltering nearby during another heavy downpour, so I stayed with them to keep them clear of the work. After a while, they moved up onto higher ground and drifted west.

Once the temporary repairs were completed, and after saying goodbye to Alice, Sean, and Zoe, I encountered the cattle again at around 17:00 as I was leaving. They were grazing among the gorse near ///jets.foam.claims.

Hopefully, Sussex steer 1626 will make a speedy recovery from his eye injury and rejoins the herd soon.

The cows were all good today.