Wednesday 31st Jan

All 41 sheep came when called and all seemed in good health. Most had moved into the eastern compartment when I arrived, some were still hanging around by the gate.

Troughs were both full and seemed to be working. Plenty of nuts. 

Gate 7 doesn't close with enough force to lock on its own. Looks like the weight cable just needs tightening.

Saw one person walking through but no dogs.

SHEEP MOVE

All 41 sheep can now access the central and Eastern compartment only. Signs on all perimeter and internal gates they seemed happy with their new grazing.

Nut bucket left in the central compartment in the tree next to the trough semi topped up, I'll be back Tuesdsy next week to refill.

Thanks all,

Bea

tue 30 Jan

35 + 6 all present around the central compartment trough, and all came when called. All looked well. Gates and troughs fine, food getting low,  no walkers

Monday 29th January

 All 41 sheep (6 WFW and 35 Shetlands) came for food and all look healthy.

The sheep nuts are very low now, but the water is fine in both the Western and Central Compartments.

It looks as if the sheep have been a little way into the central compartment but were all not far from the sheep nuts today.

Fences on both the central and western compartments were okay.

No dog walkers seen on either of the compartments.

Sunday 28th January

Counted 37 once I’d spread the nuts out. Then on my return discovered there were 4 of the larger ones in the ‘old chalk pit’ oblivious to me and the others making fuss over food!

All looked quite relaxed and no apparent issues.

Pippa Evans    pp. Richard Thompson

Saturday 27th January

 All the sheep seemed happy in the Western compartment

Pippa Evans   pp.Richard Thompson

SHEEP MOVE UPDATE

We have taken 20 White Face Woodlands off today. 

The 41 reminding sheep (6 WFW and 35 sheltands) have access to the western compartment like they have been but also the central compartment.

Hope to move them easterly again next week so keep an eye on blogger for updates.

Thanks,

Bea and the grazing team

Wednesday 24 Jan

All 61 accounted for and seemed in good health. 38 came for food when called, 23 WFW were wandering towards gate 3. 

Topped-up the trough using one of the portable containers, water leaked out of where the pipe connects to the larger tank when I tried to use that. Nuts are fine.

Didn't notice any issues with the gates or fence.

Did pass one dog walker on their way to the compound, but the dog was on its lead.

Tuesday 23 Jan

All 61 sheep found, I think - less certainty than usual as they were wandering in the woods disguising themselves as bramble or chalk. The whole flock was together around the tumulus, quite off putting to walk the entire lower section and all the way up the path and across without seeing a single sheep. Anyway, no walkers mad enough in this weather, I topped up the trough which I guess has been partly depleted by the wind. Sheep nut stock is fine. Gates all ok.

Monday 22nd January

 All 61 sheep found and all healthy !!

23 (all WFW) were up the top in a sheltered spot near the Plum Pudding.

The other 38 all came to me for sheep nuts when I called them.

I checked the boundary fence and it was all fine with no trees down (lots of branches down in the area).

2 dog walkers seen together but both had their dogs on leads.

Sunday 21st January

 All ok Pippa 

61 counted and correct 

There are definitely 2 tribes up there - 20 odd in separate area to rest on both days and a couple of very confident sheep! Good fun though 

Tim Powell

Friday 19th January

A very cold day but all 61 sheep found grazing in the sun this morning in two specific groups. No issues found with the sheep.  

Water trough frozen over but I broke the ice and topped it up. 

No dog walkers.

Thursday 18th Jan

61 sheep all enjoying the sunshine today!

I've topped the but bucket.

The trough had frozen over and the IBC was also frozen so couldn't top trough up but there should be enough to last until things thaw over the weekend.

I've taken the IBC connection away to look at as I've seen the pipe has fallen off, this will make using the IBC difficult but there should be enough water in the plastic container for the weekend until I'm back next week to reconnect the pipe.

Wednesday 17th Jan

All 61 accounted for, although only after they had eaten and spread out a bit. All came when called, but they were in three groups when I arrived, one in the flat area around gate 2, one on the slope by the Plum Pudding, the rest not too far from the trough. 

Didn't notice any health problems. One was coughing a bit again but only for a bit.

One of the gates, 7 I think it was, didn't have the force to lock on its own but still closed just fine.

Nuts need refilling, especially since one of the sheep stuck his head in it again! I broke the ice on the trough and topped it up with water.

No walkers or dogs.

Tuesday 16 Jan

I managed to count 61 this morning. All look ok. One walker, no dogs. Gates ok. Food ok for 2 or 3 days. I topped up water after removing ice (largely by hand, so if you find any fingers in there they are mine) and one sheep immediately drank. I have left some water in one of the 25 litre containers as I can't attach the blue pipe 

Monday 15th January

Only found 60 sheep today. Since we are all only finding 60 is one missing or lying hidden somewhere ?

Of the 60, 59 looked healthy but one shetland was missing quite a lot of its fleece on its left flank, the skin did look healthy though.

57 of the sheep were easy to find with 3 more hidden in the bowl area (but I couldn't find the 4th).

No walkers seen in the compartment.

I had to break the ice on the water but there was plenty there.

There are sufficient sheep nuts for 1 or 2 days.

Sunday 14th January

I am not convinced that my sheep counting is very good but Tina and I counted 60 sheep on Saturday and I counted 60 today. Today there were 23 Whitefaced Woodlands at the top Western most point of the downs and I counted 37 at the bottom of the path while feeding. In fairness I did count 37, then 38 then 37 again, so like I say it could be lack of practice. I had a good look around the rest of the compartment but saw no sign of a lone sheep. All the sheep seems in good health. There was no sign of ice and I topped up the water.

I have adjusted Gate No.5 and moved the latch so it shuts properly. Otherwise general path clearance.

Pippa Evans    pp. Adrian & Tina Crossley

Friday 12th January

 61 sheep counted (48 lower slopes and 13 Whiteface top end) - all hearty.  No ice in trough. All gates secure. No walkers      Tim

Thursday 11th jan

All 61 looking well, trough ice broken up.

Wednesday 10th Jan

All 61 sheep accounted for. 52 came when called, the other 9 were uo by the Plum Pudding. One seemed to be sneezing a bit, I think it was a WFW but can't quite remember. Otherwise all seemed in good health. 

Needed to break the ice on the trough and gave it a bit of a top-up. Nuts are fine.

Gate 3 doesn't stay fully closed. There might be enough of a gap for a determined sheep to get it's nose in and open it but I don't think it's a major concern. Might just be a matter of tightening up the wire with the weight.

One dog walker was in the compound but they were just leaving as I arrived.

9th Jan Tuesday

Bit nippy up here this morning. I counted 60 sheep, but some had re-entered the wood by the time I finished counting, so I could really have missed one. Broke the ice in the trough. No walkers

Monday 8th January

 Very cold on the reserve today (much warmer in Broughton) and all 61 sheep came running when I got the sheep nuts.

All 61 sheep looked healthy, a few have bits of bramble/hawthorn in their fleece.

I had to break the ice on the water but it is still pretty full and their are plenty of sheep nuts.

4 sets of dog walkers but the only one on the reserve had had her dog on a load and let it off

the lead after she came out of the western compartment.

Saturday 6th January

 I did my best to count as they are so spread out but only found 52 roughly.  Sorry

Pippa     pp Clare & Dick Davies

Frida 5 January

23 sheep ( and 2 deer! ) found close to Plumb Pudding remaining 38 sheep on lower slope. No problems noted. Plenty of food in bin and water in trough. Paths are slippy with recent rain particularly on steep slopes.

No walkers or dogs.

Wednesday 3rd Jan

All 61 sheep accounted for and in good health. 40 came for food, 21 stayed around the Plum Pudding. 

No issues with any of the gates, besides what's previously been mentioned. Water trough was full when I arrived and there are plenty of nuts (although one of the gits stuck his nose in the tin!)

Found three full water bottles under a tree near the Plum Pudding. Didn't look like litter, are they there for a reason?

Also, on the path back to Buckholt Rd I noticed a tree at risk of falling. It's maybe a foot in diameter and is being held up by another tree, so I don't think it's a massive hazard, but I also don't know if it's part of the nature reserve anyway. It was just outside the 'Welcome' sign with the large broken gate.

Lastly, here's the aforementioned nut thief:

2nd jan

All sheep accounted for all gates ok, but the laminated sign on the locked footpath gate has faded to illegibility. No trees across fences that I could see. Couple of walkers, one dog on a lead. Water ok, empty water container was blowing around so I put it under the fencing wood.

I gave the sheep afternoon tea rather than breakfast to miss the worst of the storm. In high winds and slippery chalky mud, 4 legs and low centre of gravity have an advantage over us upright beings (although over the winter my centre of gravity has lowered somewhat).

Monday 1st January

Found all 61 sheep, 60 looked healthy (the majority of the WFW were sitting so I couldn't see the limper) and the other looks healthy but has some hawthorn stuck around its next which looks uncomfortable (see below) :-

The water trough was full but the sheep nuts are now running low. I did find the margarine tub on the ground near the water container and not in the red tin.

All fences looked fine and I spotted one young woman with a dog on a lead in the south western area.

There were quite a few walkers with dogs on the Clarendon way on my way back but not on the nature reserve.

I did spot 4 deer in the central compartment (I think 3 females and 1 male as 1 had a lovely set of antlers) but I'm not sure of the species.