Escapees!
Tuesday, September 6th 2022
Livestock at the reserve are checked daily and last week the Dexter cows were there on Tuesday but nowhere to be seen on Wednesday! Then, they were spotted just on the other side of the fence. It is thought that loud firing on the training area had spooked them and in their panic they had fled the reserve. The owners were informed and a first attempt was made to entice them back with a sack of feed!
The cattle came close but refused to come back so were left overnight to calm down. However, the next morning they appeared to have vanished! Unbeknown to us they had gone into hiding in some nearby gorse bushes; believe it or not, in the photo below there are 4 farmers and two cows. Honest!
Eventually, they were spotted and this time with a bit of coaxing they were brought back to Foxglove.To prevent them from escaping again they were put on the wildflower meadow overnight. The only problem was that around twenty sheep followed them in through the gate! The following evening they were loaded into a trailer and taken back to Big Sheep Little Cow where they usually live.
Thank you to everyone who helped to find and catch them and to the farmers from Big Sheep Little Cow for kindly loaning them to us. They have done a fantastic job grazing on the wetland. Meanwhile, the sheep were behaving superbly on the heathland!
The small flock of six will be here for a few more weeks to help manage this habitat.
(0) Comments:
There are no comments for this blog post yet. Why not start the discussion? - use the form below:
Help Support Foxglove
Friends of Foxglove
The Friends of Foxglove Covert is for those individuals, families and organisations who would like to support the reserve through an annual membership subscription. Friends receive a regular newsletter and invitations to attend our various activities and social events.
More DetailsUpcoming Events
Foxglove Covert Local Nature Reserve is now OPEN
Monday 4th November 2024 |
The security gate, it's safety features and the communications link to the guardroom appear to be working, so we're reopening to the public.
Please check the FAQs on entrance procedures.
https://foxglovecovert.org.uk/about/frequently-asked-questions/
Birdwatching Workshop
Sunday 17th November 2024 | 10am-1pm
Improve your bird spotting and identification skills with this beginner-friendly guided bird watching session. Learn how to identicy common species, differentiate between confusion species and how to get started learning bird calls. A great opportunity to ask questions and learn alongside others.
£5 per person. Free for volunteers and Friends of Foxglove.
Booking essential.
Undergrowth Newsletter
View All The Newsletters
Recent Blog Posts
- Does it Feel Like First Week of Autumn?
- Caught on Camera
- Behind the Barrier this July!
- Reserve Update
- Would You Like to be a Trustee?
- Damselfly Emergence - Exuviae Everywhere!
- Creating a New Path
- Bumblebee ID
- More Dead Hedging
- Dead Hedging
- Beautiful Bird Boxes!
- Completed Coppice
- Unconventional Scything
- Garden Birds
- Winter Fungi
- Winter highlights
- Happy 2024!
- Wonderful winter workers!
- Making A Start
- Visitor Information (Update)
- Autumn Crafts and Autumn Colours
- Weekend Waxcaps
- Meadows and Ponds
- Meet Foxglove’s New Ranger
- All Work and No Play?
- Field Centre open Sunday 15th October 12 noon - 4.00pm
- Paving the Way
- Getting further, faster - together…
- Brian’s Baler!
- Reserve closed Tuesday 26th September 2023
- The Revolution has begun!
- Learning to Scythe with Steve Tomlin
- A fine time was had by all!
- Bird Ringing
- Galls
- Late Summer into Autumn
- News from the North
- Thank you!
- A Quiet Walk
- Hanging Around
- Mipits
- Common Lizards Again!!
- Species
- Bird Ringing
- Keeping Your Eyes Open
- Weekend opening hours Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th August
- We are recruiting!
- Thank yous and Bye Bye
- When the Sun Comes Out
- Weather and Flora and Fauna
- Volunteers at Work
- More Photos from the BBQ
- Jenga
- Volunteer and Bye Bye BBQ
- Summer
- Summer Work
- More Wildlife
- Wildlife
- A Good Growing Season
- Weekend opening hours Sat 22 & Sun 23 July 2023
- Moth News
- Butterfly Roundup
- More Moths
- Butterflies and Moths
- Weekend opening Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th July 2023
- Watching
- Juvenile Birds
- Common Lizards
- The Scrapes
- Nesting birds
- Ooohs and Ahhhs at the Moth Traps
- Co-operative Plants and Animals
- Summer Maintenance
- Moth Update
- Warm Days
- The Bees Return!
- June Flowers
- Lots of Legs
- Sharing Ideas
- Questions
- Caught Chasers!
- Some Bugs and Beasties
- Snow in June?
- Chasing the Chasers and Other Insects
- A Lesson - Perhaps?
- Small Nest Box Time
- Half Term Trail
- A Winding Way Through the Reserve
- Checking the Ponds
- Around the Reserve
- Moths and…
- Wildlife
- Living Creatures
- Roe Deer
- Dippers
- Dawn Chorus and Volunteering
- CES 1
- Hive of Activity
- Job Complete!
- Trial Run
Blog Archive
- Blog Posts from - 2024
- Blog Posts from - 2023
- Blog Posts from - 2022
- Blog Posts from - 2021
- Blog Posts from - 2020
- Blog Posts from - 2019
- Blog Posts from - 2018
- Blog Posts from - 2017
- Blog Posts from - 2016
- Blog Posts from - 2015
- Blog Posts from - 2014
- Blog Posts from - 2013
- Blog Posts from - 2012
- Blog Posts from - 2011
- Blog Posts from - 2010
- Blog Posts from - 2009