I set out on what I was hoping to be a lovely peaceful Saturday morning stroll, oh how wrong I was…
I head along light house road where I watch a couple of Ravens preen themselves atop of the mile marker. I head up the slope into the meadows. Two Goldfinch break from some cover and zoom across the meadow into some scrub.
I head through Johnston through to Herrin Ground to check on the cows in Jack Baiss. My heart sinks as I look out over the valley to the field that should be full on juvenile cows, and I don’t see a single cow. Then I look to the quarry road to see the familiar silhouette … they have escaped!
I quickly send of a text to Ranger Ben for back up while I still have signal, and rush over to the cows. As I approach, I realise the damage isn’t as bad as first thought, only two have made the great escape and the rest are hiding in the scrub towards the back of the field.
I encourage the two escapees back into the field with their friends. I make my way through the muddy gateway after them to check everyone else is where they are meant to be. Heading along the edge of the field to establish where the weak point is in the fence, Ben arrives to help. Ben gathers some old wood from a nearby field and we use it to secure the hole in the fence as best we can before checking for more holes.
Finding another hole, we are also happy to see an old metal gate nearby which we struggle to pull of the brambles to plug this hole. Thankfully Ben has a bow saw in the back of his van which he uses to cut the brambles away from the gate
The cows watch on closely, hopefully realising their next escape attempt has been scuppered. Their mothers were taken back to the farm by the farmer on Thursday to give birth in peace, which can lead the little ones to become a bit flighty and suddenly become spectacular athletes, as they manage to jump over fences you never thought a cow could jump.