Gone into hiding

Following on from Tom's post, I think they must have taken an early night after getting a visit from the Reserves Officer as they were nowhere to be seen in their usual haunts when we visited at 1600 today.  I confess that after seeing on the blog that they had already been checked today I didn't venture into the far NE corner.

Tuesday 31st Jan.

All 8 ponies and 3 cows found and checked as part of weekly site checks by staff. 

Wasn't very hard to find the ponies as all 8 of them were laying up just inside the cattle grid to the site! Begrudgingly, they got up when I asked so I could check them over. A few had a nice roll in the dirt beforehand mind you! 

I found the cows right down in the corner by the pipeline contractors on Aldershot Road whilst checking the fence. They dutifully followed me back to the entrance so I gave them some cattle nuts as a thank you. 

Only thing to note is that #215 is drooling a bit. I have passed this information on to the grazing team who have said they will come out and check on her soon.  Other than that, no issues with any of the livestock on site today! 

Sunday 29th January - All 11 seen

The cows were standing in the bushes to the side of the main entrance at 11:55 this morning.  After a very friendly welcome from cow 234 she joined the other two in chewing her cud.  The cows were very relaxed and seemed happy enough.   After quite a while, they wandered off in the direction of the south-west corner, grazing as they went.

The eight ponies were all grazing in the area around ///limbs.glimmers.chats.  They were all busy eating gorse.

There was plenty of drinking water available on site.

The cows and the ponies were all good today.

mineral lick dropped off

I have dropped off a mineral lick for the cattle on the far side of the hill. All looking well.

Thanks

Grazing team

Wednesday 25th Jan - All present and correct

The ponies emerged from from the racecourse fence line (C6) when I arrived at 1030 this morning, all looking well but just idling like last week.  The cows were just a little further on on the back slope of Brock's Hill (D6), busy browsing the gorse.  They too looked well.  There is plenty of accessible water near the Gelvert and at the north of the site.

The kissing gate at the north end, near the Velmead car park, is beginning to look a little precarious.  The top hammered-in hinge on the fence post has pulled far out causing the outer edge of the gate to drop and be stuck on the ice in the half open position.  I tried to push it back but it didn't want to shift.  The post is a little wobbly but intact I think.

Fence fine today

 Ruth, one of the SPA wardens, kindly checked the fence line today, along the pipeline route and all was well.

Sunday 22nd January - All 11 seen

The eight ponies were all found in the area around ///spin.jokes.swarm at 13:30 this afternoon.  Some were busy munching on gorse while others were standing looking happy and very relaxed.

The cows were found deep in the gorse around ///trackers.atomic.waitress at the top of Brock's Hill a while later.

There were some large frozen puddles near where the ponies were grazing, which I broke up for them.  The stream was still flowing.  There was also plenty of water in the woods, although the far side of the site was like an ice rink.  The fences were all fine.

The cows and the ponies were all good today.

Saturday

 All found at 9.00. All the ponies on the main path at the foot of the hill and all the cows at the top of the hill. All looking fine. 

Friday 20th January - All 11 seen

The ponies were all spread out grazing in the area around ///ocean.processor.marked at 12:55 this afternoon. They were all happily eating in the sunshine. As I was checking the ponies, the cows wandered past close to the fence nearest the pipeline. The stopped for a bit but soon carried on. They were found grazing in the area around ///ferrets.squeaks.swatting about thirty minutes later. The cows and the ponies were all good today.

Weds 18th Jan

 Mirroring Steve's check, everyone seemed well. They hadn't much moved from where they were this morning! Nightjar is a special treat! 

Cold ponies

At 0930 this morning the ponies were alongside the racecourse (C6) while the cows were again to the north of Brock’s Hill in the grass (D4). The ponies emerged from the cover and came to stand in the sun on the track to warm up. The ponies looked well but sad at being cold. The cows on the other hand were full of beans and followed us back round to where the ponies continued to stand. The Gelvert is still flowing fortunately as all the puddles were frozen solid and dry once broken. To trump the partridges from last week, I thought I could hear a nightjar on the top of Brock’s Hill [it didn't occur to me that it was January and they don't arrive until April - anyone know what it might have been?] and disturbed a snipe when breaking the ice on the stream. 

Sunday 15th January - All 11 seen

The eight ponies were all eating gorse in the area around ///wings.order.shred at 10:40 this morning.  They all seemed happy and relaxed and were all looking really well.

The cows were buried deep in the gorse bushes on the western slope of Brock's Hill in the area around ///chins.plays.realm twenty minutes later.  They were all munching away.  I couldn't get close enough to cow 234 to check her properly, but she looked absolutely fine.

The cows and the ponies were all good today.

Thursday 12th jan

 All seen and no issues, plenty of water on site. Ponies looking well settled

All 11 seen

The ponies were all along the western shoulder of Brock's Hill (C5) browsing the gorse at 2.45 this afternoon while the cows were grazing to the north in D4.  All seemed content and well.  I can't be certain, but I think we also saw a pair of partridges that ran off into the cover by the racecourse. 

Fence and stock check yesterday 9th Jan; all well

 Happy New Year to you all! 

Zoe, from the Thames Basin Heaths wardening team, checked the fence line parallel with the pipeline contractors yesterday and all was good. She also reports that she saw all the livestock yesterday and they too were all looking well

Thanks

Friday 6th January - All 11 seen

The eight ponies were all grazing in the area around ///pickup.smoke.curvy at 13:15 this afternoon. They were all very relaxed as they were eating. All three cows were grazing together in the area around ///twin.glossed.diver. Cow 215 was buried deep in a gorse bush, happily munching. The cows and the ponies were all good today.

Cows relaxing, ponies in the gorse

The cows were relaxing on the western end of Brock's Hill (C5) at noon today with two ponies nearby.  The other six ponies were not visible at first but a white flank could be seen on the southern slope of the hill, deep in the gorse, when walking around the track.  Eventually we counted all eight as they edged towards us as we stood on the path to the hill top.  Cows and ponies all look very healthy.

Wednesday 4th January - All 11 seen

Happy New Year.  Wishing you a happy and healthy 2023.

Cows 214 and 234 were munching on gorse in the area around ///canoe.proved.loud at 10:30 this morning.  Cow 215 was standing close by, relaxing and chewing her cud.  She came over to say hello and was absolutely fine today.

A short while later, six of the ponies were found among the gorse bushes near the racecourse fence line. They were all happily eating gorse.   The other two ponies were buried deep in the gorse bushes around ///highs.regrowth.satin.  If it hadn't been for the tips of the white ones ears sticking up, I don't think I would have found them!

The fences were all fine today.  Plenty of water on site too, including the far side of the site which is still very waterlogged.  The pipeline contractor was back at work, but they were working at the Tweseldown racecourse rather than the section alongside Long Valley.

The cows and the ponies were all good today.