Berhills Farm

Does this cow look menacing to you? The herd belong to Berhills Farm and are pretty much full grown male calves. They have no fear of people any more and don't back off when you walk up to them and touch their noses.

When I walked into the field they gathered around me at the stile and followed me, walking slightly faster than I was, as I made my way down to the river. When I got there, a saw a heron standing on the bank by the river near the old weir, and a little later two more flew in and landed in the field. In an attempt to get a picture I walked up to a tree trunk hoping not to disturb the herons. Something set the cows off, and the whole herd stampeded across the field in front of me. Luckily, the tree trunk prevented me from getting in their way and they settled down moments later and began to graze. The herons flew away.

I was reminded that only the week before a lady in Chippenham, just up the road, had been trampled to death by cows when walking her dog, and the week before that there had been a similar incident at Calstone, on the outskirts of Calne. I don't suppose the cows had any malicious intent, but they are herd animals, and clumsy.

The cows wandered down to the river and lost interest in me. Just as well, as the path into Calne was impassably muddy and I had to return through the herd to get back to the stile.

L.
12.11.2012

Blip #837
Consecutive Blip #050
Day #958

Alternatives:
Nosy Cow
Grazing By The Tree Trunk I'd Stood Behind
By The River

Lens: Pentax 17-70mm

Berhills Farm series


Lozarhythm Of The Day:
Led Zeppelin - Trampled Under Foot (1975)