Sunday 12th July – All 4 seen – Test Track access restricted daily due to the Farnborough Airshow, plus local road closures

The cattle were initially deep in the thicket near ///expel.podcast.duet, fairly close to the Test Track fence line at the eastern edge of the reserve. Despite pushing through the woodland to reach the fence line and then following it northeast, I completely missed them on my first attempt. However, after turning back and retracing my steps, I was greeted about halfway along by a chorus of moos, letting me know I had finally found them. All four were standing watching me with great interest, but there was no passable route through to them. So, I was very pleased when they followed me back to the clearing near the step stile onto the Test Track, around ///merely.cheered.bright, where I was finally able to join them at the end. 16:30.

Steers 200 and 208 immediately came over to say hello, both enjoying a few strokes before contentedly standing beside me to rest and chew their cud. Despite the gusty wind, which made the hot conditions much more comfortable, the boys were still being bothered by numerous flies around their eyes. Cow 201 soon came over to join us, remaining in the shade of the trees, while steer 207 stayed a little further back among the bushes. After a while, I wandered over to check on him, only for him to follow me back to where the other three were standing. Steer 200 has really started to enjoy having his back scratched, happily shuffling around to make sure I reached all of his itchy spots.

The cattle continued to rest, moving a little deeper into the shade of the trees and bushes, but remaining happy for me to stand with them. They would occasionally nibble on the gorse or browse leaves from the trees. All four were happy, relaxed, and looking well. They all appeared to be coping well with the extended period of hot weather, showing no signs of heat stress. I said my goodbyes at 17:15, leaving them all resting peacefully.

I wandered along to check the water levels in the pasture pumps and found they were both empty, so I gave them a good clean and refilled them. A small amount of water was left around the bases and on the ground after cleaning and refilling the pumps. Afterwards, I checked the water levels in the ditch and found it completely dry again.

Please be aware that entry into the Test Track section is now restricted due to the Farnborough International Airshow. Interestingly, it appears they have reused the signage from 2024, as the dates are incorrect. Aircraft validation is due to take place between 13th and 19th July, with the airshow running from 20th to 24th July. In addition, please be aware that there are a number of local road closures between 12:00 and 17:30 each day. These include the entire A323 Fleet Road, as well as Aldershot Road between its junction with the A323 and the Foresters pub. There are also restrictions in place on Aldershot Road from the roundabout at Tesco, with access permitted only for residents and those visiting the pub (this is the section past the main vehicle entrance to Long Valley).

Am I right in assuming the cattle will remain on the Test Track section during the Airshow? I know that when we had cattle on the Test Track back in 2022, they were removed for the duration of the show.

The cows were all good today.

Monday 7th June - Cattle Treated for Fly

Hi All, 

I went on yesterday to give the cattle their fky treatment. All in good nick, in the center of the reserve. 

Thanks for keeping an eye on them. 

It seems from next monday there is a main road closure, A323 Fleet Road, you may need to plan an alternative route. 

 

Grazing Team

Sunday 5th July - All 4 seen

Shortly before 16:30 this afternoon, the cattle were resting in the shade of the bushes about 45 metres east of the main path, near ///able.workers.scrub. They must have heard me approaching, as they all got to their feet and looked out through the thicket. When they realised it was me, they came to the edge of the thicket near the open area to the north. Steers 200 and 208 were quick to wander out to greet me, both enjoying a few head scratches. They were content to stand beside me and chew their cud, while I helped keep the flies away from their faces. Steer 207 was initially happy to remain in the shade, but after a while wandered out to join the boys, only to move back into the bushes about ten minutes later. Cow 201 was also a little shy to begin with, but soon joined the boys. She seems to be beginning to trust me a bit more and was happy to stand close, even enjoying a few strokes.

The cattle were happy to stand beside me, relaxing and chewing their cud in the sunshine. They were all happy, relaxed, and looking well. Steer 200 would occasionally lean in for neck scratches before turning for a back scratch, which I was happy to provide. I said my goodbyes shortly after 17:00, leaving them resting peacefully. They watched as I walked away, and when I looked back, they were already making their way back into the shade.

I wandered along to check the water levels in the ditch and found it completely dry again. I'm beginning to think I may not be checking the correct section of the ditch, as it was completely dry when I visited last Sunday, yet when Chris checked the following day, there was some water present. I checked the stretch from the pile of stones near ///boot.wove.triathlon along the bank to the southeast. Afterwards, I went to check the pasture pumps and found they were both empty. I gave them a good clean and refilled them. A small amount of water was left around the bases and on the ground after cleaning and refilling the pumps.

Afterwards, I had a wander around the silt reservoir to see if I could locate any additional water sources or identify the spot where others check. I found the point where the water exits the reservoir at ///pickup.yarn.dust and where it leaves the reserve at ///bends.nibbled.etchings. There were areas I couldn't check because of the dense thicket, but I wasn't able to find any stretches containing water.

The cows were all good today.

Saturday

No sign of them today at 8-9.30.  

Mon 29th June - staff check

All 4 seen well in the vicinity of the pumps and the ditch. Ditch almost empty but thankfully the pasture pumps showed signs of recent use with fresh water in them and wet ground around the bases. This should settle the question over whether they've been using them or not.

Sunday 28th June - All 4 seen - ditch dry, water pumps empty, concerns over drinking water availability

At 15:50 this afternoon, steer 208 was standing and chewing his cud just inside the test track gate, while the others rested on the strip of grass beside him. He stepped forward to greet me and was happy to receive a few head strokes. After a short while, the others also got to their feet and approached to say hello, giving me plenty of curious sniffs. Steer 200 enjoyed a neck rub before shuffling forward for a relaxing back scratch.

By 16:10, they had drifted off to graze near ///simply.funds.poorly enjoying plenty of fresh grass and leaves from the trees and bushes. They seemed to appreciate the cooler conditions, with a refreshing breeze making the afternoon far more comfortable for them. Steers 200 and 208 would occasionally come over and stand close, seemingly happy to share a bit of company. The cattle continued to graze along the sides of the main path, reaching the cattle grid by 16:30. The group appeared happy, relaxed, and unaffected by the extreme heat over the past few days. They were all seen walking, grazing, and resting normally without any visible issues.

I left them grazing and wandered along to check the ditch, which was completely dry. I also checked the water pumps, where the left-hand tray had only a small amount of water remaining in the bottom and the right-hand tray was dry. There was no indication that the cattle had been using them, and it appeared the water had likely evaporated during the hot weather. I gave both trays a good clean and refilled them.

Afterwards I returned to the cattle, who were now grazing among the gorse bushes along the fence line beyond the cattle grid. I remembered that there had previously been some large pools of water in this area that may once have provided an additional source, but despite a long search, these also appeared to have dried up. The cattle did not appear to be showing any signs of dehydration, suggesting they must still have access to another water source elsewhere. However, it would be sensible to teach them how to make use of the water pumps if possible.

I said my goodbyes to the cattle at 17:30, leaving all four peacefully grazing. Before leaving, I checked the car but didn’t have any suitable containers available to provide some temporary water.

The cows were all good today, although the limited availability of confirmed drinking water sources remains a concern.

Wednesday 24th June - Staff Check

 Found all 4 right in the middle of a gorse bush. How they got there is anyone's guess, as there was no obvious trail and they aren't the smallest cows. They looked well in spite of mishievous exploits