At 17:05 this evening, while driving along Bourley Road, I saw several Sussex cattle grazing near the Gelvert fence line, northwest of the fisherman’s entrance at ///pebble.livid.bulges. I stopped to check on them.
Youngster 219 and five Sussex cattle were alternating between browsing leaves in the thicket and foraging for acorns. They were all very friendly, coming over one by one to say hello and enjoy plenty of strokes. Youngster 219 especially enjoyed a long neck and back scratch. Although they were damp from earlier rain, they didn’t seem bothered. I did notice that several of the Sussex cattle had more bald patches than when I last saw them at the weekend. The photo below shows the left side of steer 210’s back.
I searched the surrounding area for cow 212 but couldn’t find her at first. After heading to the north-western corner near the stream, I heard a soft moo and spotted her on the Camp 45 side of the fence. I walked around to check on her and found her absolutely fine. She thoroughly enjoyed a long neck and back rub. Despite the light fading quickly, I walked the Camp 45/Gelvert fence line to look for any gaps or damage but didn't find anything significant. I continued on to the main entrance by the cattle grid and found some hoof prints in the mud, so she had clearly been there earlier. I left the gate open so she can get out if she wanders back over. HIWWT has been informed.
I then rejoined cow 212, who was resting by the stream, and stayed with her until 17:50, by which time it was fully dark. A couple of the Sussex cattle had also gathered on the Gelvert side of the stream.
It was lovely to see all seven cattle again after nearly a week. They were all relaxed, content, and looking healthy. I'll check on cow 212 again in the morning during my usual Saturday visit.
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