Tuesday 1st September – All 25 seen – Steer 230's wound was attracting considerably more flies today and didn't appear to be as closed over as in previous days

At 16:35 this afternoon, youngsters 217, 222, 230, 270, and 271 were lying down and resting among the bracken on the hillside near ///inched.profited.sped, north of Sandy Hill. Steers 33 and 227 were lying down around 30 metres further north, separated from the others by a row of gorse bushes. They were all very friendly as I made my way around checking on them, happily accepting plenty of strokes. Youngsters 222 and 230 were especially friendly, both enjoying long neck rubs before stretching out on their sides for belly scratches. Youngster 230's wound was attracting considerably more flies today and didn't appear to be as closed over as it had in previous days. He was happy for me to give it a thorough check, and before leaving, I covered the wound with some bracken in the hope of giving him a little respite from the flies. All seven were happy, relaxed, and looking well.

At 17:15, youngster 219, along with Sussex cattle 210, 212, and 1640, were grazing in the pasture southeast of the covered reservoir, near ///parts.treating.apes. Youngster 219 soon paused his grazing to come over and say hello before positioning himself for a long back scratch. Steers 30 and 228, along with cow 940, were grazing deep among the bracken further north, on the far side of a large, swampy ditch. I decided not to attempt crossing it, but as they appeared to be heading in my direction, I planned to return and check on them later.

At 17:30, cow 72 was grazing on her own beside the water treatment compound, near ///eased.swaps.ooze, just outside the NoFence boundary. She had found plenty of long, green grass beneath the bracken and looked very pleased with her discovery. Steer 220, along with cows 214 and 234, were spread out grazing southeast of the compound, near ///aged.hawks.gambles. Cow 214 soon came over to spend some time with me, settling beside me to relax and chew her cud. I've no idea what she'd been up to, but she had a muddy face, which she was happy to let me clean for her. While spending some time with cow 234, I happened to look up towards the higher ground and spotted steers 21 and 1626 watching me from afar.

By 17:45, I climbed up to check on the boys and found that they were with the remaining three Sussex cattle, grazing in the pasture near ///abode.degree.nicely. The group had originally been grazing further east, near the fenced-off area, when I first arrived. All five stopped to say hello, with cow 211 offering her usual gentle head rubs and licks. Cow 940 and steers 30 and 228 were also grazing nearby, while steer 220 and cows 214 and 234 joined them around ten minutes later. I said my goodbyes at 18:05, shortly after cow 72 came wandering through the dense bracken to join the group as well. All sixteen cattle were happy, relaxed, and in good condition.

Finally, at 18:15, steer 20 was browsing leaves in the bushes near ///nips.only.dollars, southeast of the main entrance to the Gelvert Reserve. Older steer 35 was grazing deep among the gorse bushes along the main path, but poked his head out to greet me before stepping out for his check. Despite being away from the main herd, both were absolutely fine and were thoroughly enjoying their dinner. I said my goodbyes at 18:30, leaving them peacefully grazing.

The cattle were all good today.