October 25th – Passing New Barns Farm at Footherley, I stopped to greet some cows waiting at the gate to go off for milking.
I love these huge,, but gently nosey animals. I noticed they were all wearing radio tags so the milking equipment could trace their statistic and wellbeing. Farming’s come a long way technologically in the last decade or so.
Always nice to say hello to the coos.
July 12th – Meanwhile, at Jockey Meadows, the coos are getting stuck in, browsing the scrub and spreading the cowpat love. I’m fascinated in their behaviour; they tend to operate in a loose group, and move to different parts of the pasture at different times of day. It’s almost as if they know they have a job to do, and are carefully, conscientiously doing it.
I love these gentle, charming beasts.
June 22nd – I passed the coos of Jockey Meadows early in the morning, and they were gathered at the field gate. I’m curious as to why they do this, and sometimes, at the same time of day, can barely be seen at all. There’s nothing of note here apart from a salt-lick, and there’s plenty of water in the meadow, so I guess they get some additional feed brought by a stockman, and their internal clocks are telling them food is due.
These gentle, inquisitive animals have clearly had an impact on the meadow – it’s what I think they’re there for – the long grass is reduced and the mud well churned.
I love these summer tenants of this curious slither of greenbelt..
June 11th – I had to pop into work late afternoon, and as sun tried to break through the generally overcast day, I stopped to look for my mates the coos at Jockey Meadows.
At first, I thought they’d gone again, but I could smell them. The muddy field was freshly churned after the rain. I looked carefully.
The workforce was busy. Deep in the scrub or the water meadow, they were here and there, doing what they do best.
Grazing, steadily. Getting the job done.
May 31st – A bright spot in an atrocious, wet commute home was spotting that the coos have returned to Jockey Meadow in Walsall Wood – and by the look of the lush meadow there, they have their work cut out.
Not that it seems hard work, browsing the bog for the juiciest grasses and shoots, and generally looking handsome.
I love these guys. So nosey, so proud. Good to have my friends back.
May 30th – I wasn’t well today. The long ride of the day before had maybe taken a toll, but I didn’t sleep well, and suffered a migraine in the morning. The day was a bit wolfish, too, with a strengthening wind, so I confined myself to a trip to Chasewater and back over the common and canals mid-afternoon.
I haven’t been this way for ages, and I’m sad, as it was absolutely beautiful; Brownhills wears it’s spring jacket beautifully, and the buttercup meadows on the farmland to the rear of the old Rising Sun pub have to be seen to be believed; but also at The Slough, the hawthorn blossom is beautiful.
I still felt damned ropey, but at least I felt better about myself.
September 14th – My pals the coos are back at Jockey Meadows. It seems to be the same beef herd of young males that was there in early summer, and they seem to have settled back in well. They’re clearly enjoying the job – managing the meadow by grazing, browsing the scrub, churning the soil and spreading the cow-pat love.
Generally laid back and relaxed about life, they do tend to investigate anyone who comes to the field gate. Such gently nosey, lovely animals.
September 2nd – As I squelched past Jockey Meadows, I stopped to look for my mates the coos. I noted they were on the far side of the meadow as I rode past on my way to work, but they were too far away to make a good photo. On my return, they’d gone, which I was sad about.
However, this female pheasant seemed to be enjoying the opportunity for browsing presented by the freshly turned meadow. Off that she seems to have lost her tail-feathers. Didn’t seem to bother her, though.
July 14th – A desperately grey journey home in fine rain. Totally uninspiring. Even my mates the coos of Jockey Meadows have – literally – moved on to pastures new, and the water meadow is recovering from their attentions. It looks good, although you’d not think it at first glance. But a lot of the invasive fast growing stuff has been grazed out, there’s lots of soft earth and mud turned by the lads and plenty of poo to spread the fertile love.
I love this land. It’s like a barometer of the seasons, and even without the coos, it’s fascinating.
June 17th – I cycled past the coos of Jockey Meadows at half six. It was clearly knocking off time. It had been raining and everywhere was grey and dismal. But something about these gentle, inquisitive beasts always cheers me up.
Here’s to the coos.
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