I'm on the blog at last, after a good few years "lookering". Thanks Chris.

As everyone else has noticed, the white lady appears to be the driving force. Not sure about those horns.......
The others have been inquisitive as I have got nearer. All going well until the white one sees me and chases the others away. Hopefully the nuts will start to do the trick.

Still missing the British Whites - they eat a lot, too.

The pasture pump has been doing nothing for weeks. After a week of water, it became virtually silt, then nothing. Has anyone tried moving the hose/clearing it? I can't reach.

Last post mentioned the other pump we had in Ashley Meadows. Chris - is it still in there or available? Can we get the cows into Ashley Meadow, assuming it is simple to get the fence electrified again? It seems drier in there.

I have only found six animals so far - someone mentioned seven. How many are there supposed to be? Chris, when are the others coming that you mentioned? 

Peter Manning | Tues 29 Aug

Around 10:30 all 7 cattle eating in the centre of the Western Fen, in plenty of standing water. I tried the trick with a few handfuls of cow nuts in the bright flexy tub. Got within 50m and raised and shook the bucket. The cream one knew what it was, but was a bit reticent to approach. But she did in the end. I put the tub on the ground and she tucked in about 2m from me, but none of the others crowded around got a look in! And all this before I received the email from Chris. All still very nervous. But on my way there my welly got stuck in some mud and I fell. Good crop of stinky mud all over me! And plenty of horse flies to bite me. 

Pasture pump not working. Last year at Fishlake we had a second pasture pump in Ashley Meadow and that one worked well.

Friday 25th August

Cool, sunny, autumn morning. Luckily for us the cattle were near the gate so we could see them all without going into the fen. All were happily munching until the white one saw us and then they moved further down the field.

I checked the pasture pump out of curiosity. It does not work. Operating the lever produces a mere dribble of water.

Later saw the cattle again  from the permissive path .

Richard and Elizabeth 

Peter Manning | Tues 22 Aug

Around 10am cattle spotted from the gate, NW of Western Fen centre on dryish ground. Approached from the south so they may get driven nearer the gate and managed to get within 20m or so but scarpered west when the big cream one saw me. However an easy count to seven unlike other weeks! All looked in good health, but as usual not possible to get close enough. Fen very wet with standing water over much of the fen, slow going for humans with wellies! 

Pasture pump could no be considered working properly, 15 pumps to get a small amount of muddy water.

Friday 18th August

Opened gate just before 8 in very heavy rain, then walked to the western fen to check the cattle, hoping they would be near the gate.  Luckily for us, they were sheltering under the willow tree by the gate. All seven were there, crowded together.

Unsurprisingly, lots of big puddles on the paths. The stinging nettles were flopping over the path along the canal.

Walked back to the car park as the rain slackened. Stopped at the seat from where an Osprey was visible ( with binoculars) on top of a distant dead tree.

Met no-one the whole time. 

Rain stopped just long enough to shed wet waterproofs ( or rather not quite waterproofs) to get in the car before it bucketed down again.

Richard and Elizabeth 

 hi all,

thanks for all the updates.

i'm on leave now until monday. Any issues please contact the grazier directly. He will be down at the weekend to check as well.

thanks

chris

Peter Manning | Tues 15 Aug

Around 10:30 I spotted cattle in Western Fen from the gate, but approach closer than 100yds and they move on further into the undergrowth. Eventually managed to count to 7, the large cream one seems to be the boss! Disturbed what was probably a female Pheasant in the fen which flew off erratically. The fen is very wet especially in the centre where the cows generally are, some places nearly defeating my wellies. 

The pasture pump couldn't really be described as working properly, it took 15 or 20 pumps to get any water at all, and then it was very muddy. But there is plenty of standing water in the fen!

Richard and Elizabeth Friday 11th August 2023

Using binoculars at the gate, saw the white one and one of the black ones way down the fen near the eastern fence. Walked to  the pasture pump and checked it. Worked ok-ish. Lots of  water on the fen so the cows won't have a problem getting water.

Meanwhile the cows had disappeared. Followed the trampling and areas which  they had flattened, stopped and listened and could hear munching but could not see them. Eventually at first saw the white one and one of the black ones, then two more black ones.Could hear another one munching. After a little while they moved away quite quickly.

The vegetation is taller than the cows, and where they were the water was quite deep, so it was not possible to check them properly.

The white one is standing up in the photo and there should black one somewhere in it too.

Robin Findlay | Thursday 10th August

 Counted 7 cows ( 6 black and 1 white) at 5pm.  They were located at the north west corner of the field

I checked the pasture pump - it seemed to be functioning ok and the drinking basin was full of water

Robin Findlay | Wednesday 9th August

 I checked the Western Fen about 3pm as part of my normal walk round but did not see any of the 7 cows. Since Chris reported them earlier today ( and seen on previous 2 looks) I don't think this is an issue - I wasn't sure which field to look in so didn't do an exhaustive search.  Reading the other blog entries, it seems that they are proving hard to locate so not surprising I didn't see them.  Given the warmth of the afternoon they were probably lying down soewhere in the meadow.  Next time I'll walk round the fen and shake the tin of cattle nuts

Hi All,

I have updated the contacts on the right hand side of the page. Robins is on there now in case you can't get me.

Cows seem a bit skittish at the moment but should calm down. I'll get some cattle nuts and a bin and leave them in the corral area. That way you can shake a bucket at them and hopefully, checking will become easier. 

Thanks

chris

Peter Manning | Tues 08 Aug

Around 11am. The first cow hunt of the year! Wellies needed to go in parts of Western Fen, little chance of finding the relatively small cattle if all lying down! Luckily one stood up. But very timid, cannot get much closer than 100yds, so all you can do is count up to seven before they run off, legs are obviously working well! One cream one with big horns, rest black and one has a white face, 7 in all. Not possible to check ear tags, eyes etc. 

Pasture pump is working, but not very efficiently, I suspect air in the pipe to the water source. This seemed to be the same last year. Maybe there is a leak in the pump diaphragm or in the water pipe, and air is getting in. However plenty of standing water over large areas of the fen.

Sunday 6th August. Richard and Elizabeth

The cattle arrived this afternoon around 3.15 pm. The two men delivering them said there are 7 cattle.

We were at the bridge by pure chance when the truck arrived.

Richard and Elizabeth