Meadow Pipits but what else?

Heysham Obs
The highlight today was ticking the requisite boxes for a "white Easter" as a few snowflakes appeared late morning. Very disappointing morning with less happening than yesterday and not even a compensatory Osprey through the massive amount of airspace given good coverage

North wall 0700 onwards
Watching paint dry
Kittiwake - flocks of 14+12 the "highlight"
Eider - 91
Twite - c70
Great-crested Grebe - 9
plus vis dealt with below

Vis mig combined office & NHW 0700-1130
Siskin - 1
Lesser Redpoll - 2
Jackdaw  - flock of 4
Carrion Crow - 1 high & purposeful
Canada Goose - 5 did a circle of the golf course
alba Wagtail - 42
Meadow Pipit - 377
Goldfinch - 5
Greenfinch - 1 (!)
Linnet - 3
Coal Tit - 2+1 north

Miscellany
No Meds seen
Wigeon - 33

The spring passage of Turnstone is well under way -the time of peak numbers here.  In contrast, Little Grebe seems to have declined in the last three years as a breeding species at Middleton and so far this year, there may only be two pairs.   Thanks to Sandra and John Truran for the pics

Night migrants
None unless two unringed Robins being chased come into this category

Ringing
27 Meadow Pipit and 2 Greenfinch 

Meadow Pipits get going

Heysham Obs
Interesting Twite statistics.  35 were caught yesterday, two lots of 20 were caught today.  Only 10 of the 40 caught today were not caught yesterday and 7 of the first lot of 20 were retrapped in the second lot.  Yet the grand total of Twite in the last two days has been c82 yesterday and c75 today with just 5-6 unringed/day.  These probably accounted for the 5 unringed birds caught in the last two days.  Conclusion being that there is a 'core' of habituated birds, a handful of unringed birds unfamiliar with whoosh nets and a gang of wary ones!  Permission granted to use in Key Stage ?5 maths.  60-70 were back on the seed by lunchtime

Meadow Pipit and Kittiwakes were on the move today with three very short seawatches producing the latter and there may have been many others

North harbour wall
Twite - c75, including the usual Machrihanish-ringed bird
Med Gull - the displaying summer adults were still there early on at least
Mute Swan - 2 in harbour, one inshore

Vis mig
Kittiwake -  flocks of 18, 38 and 15 seen heading up the bay early morning
Red-throated Diver - 3+1 as above
Carrion Crow - flock of four purposefully north
Grey Wagtail - one north
alba Wagtail - minimum of 35 north
Meadow Pipit - c480 north
Goldfinch - c20 north
large raptor - Buzzard or harrier spp as a disappearing V shape heading over Heysham head early on

Miscellany
Pintail - male still at Middleton
No  Wheatear seen today
Knot - 8,200 on sands south of Ocean Edge
Bar-tailed Godwit - 2,850 as above
Dunlin - 2,400 as above
Grey Plover - 175 as above

A mixed bag of quality

Heysham Obs

Two out of the three Med Gulls yesterday afternoon on the north wall - the 3CY in the middle - this was not seen (so far) today.  Thanks Janet.

A lot of effort was put in today and it wasn't too bad at a local patch level, although a fly-over Osprey might have been a deserved reward.  Thanks to Malcolm, Pete Cook and John for extra records

North wall from very early on!
Med Gull - two noisy displaying adults as per yesterday for much of the early morning but no sign of 3CY
Yellowhammer - at least one of a flock of three birds heading north was a male of this species - most unusual in spring
Sandwich Tern - one flew up the Kent channel early on (first of year)
Kittiwake - flock of 14-15 up the Kent channel early on
Red-throated Diver - flocks of 3+4 up the Kent channel early on
Teal - 4
Twite - up to 82.  11 of these flew off high to the north towards Barrow during the early morning still air and the rest were quite noisy and flighty and at one point c50 circled high in the sky over the wooden jetty.  Normally only small numbers left by now (35 caught, 3 unringed)
Rock Pipit - one
Meadow Pipit - c35 north in 3 hours
alba Wagtail - c15 north in 3 hours
Goldfinch - 5 north in 3 hours
Whooper Swan - c15 distantly to the NW early morning

Ocean Edge/Red Nab area
Bar-tailed Godwit - c2,700
Wigeon - 25
Shelduck - 74
Jack Snipe - 3 different birds ocean edge saltmarsh inner edge at high tide
Common Snipe - on with above

Middleton NR
PINTAIL - male on Tim Butler pond - a mega!  First one ever known to have landed in this area
Teal - at least 40
Tufted Duck - 15
Mute Swan - 7 (2 juv)
Mallard - 6
Coot & Moorhen - 6 each
Little Grebe - 2
Gadwall - 3
Chiffchaff - one by no swimming pond (first of year!)

Seasonal mishmash

Heysham Obs
This weather is sending all sorts of mixed messages to the birds as they try and prepare for spring.  The following examples:

Med Gull - the pair of summer plumage adults (presumably from earlier in the month, not new ones) and Belgian-ringed 3CY returned to the north harbour wall for an afternoon's scavenging - these were all presumed long-gone

Linnet - a newly-arrived female gathered a bit of nest material, but her mate appeared to look up to the sky and shake his head, upon which the female let go of the piece of grass.  This is the first vaguely territorial Linnet seen this year - not even any vis mig yet

Wheatear - a male struggled in-off, then headed north

Meadow Pipit - a painfully slow trickle totalling 12 birds over 3 hours!

Ringed Plover and Oystercatcher display flighting over the inner shore

Pink-footed Goose - 47 struggling north over the sea

Twite - still at least 88, including 6-7 unringed and the usual Machrihanish bird

Whooper Swan - 6 reported as heading NW early morning

Wheatear still in the snow flurries

Heysham Obs
Still as you were migrant wise with a few Meadow Pipit prior to the route being blocked by east to west-moving snow cloud and poor visibility over the Fylde and not a lot else on the move

Ocean Edge/Red Nab
Ringed Plover - flock of 24 by Middleton Towers
Still 8,500 waders, mainly Knot and Dunlin but also significant numbers of Grey Plover and Bar-tailed Godwit on the intertidal to the south of Ocean Edge and north of Potts Corner until flushed to the south by a Peregrine at c0930hrs
Wheatear - the pristine male still at Red Nab

North harbour wall/wooden jetty area
Purple Sandpiper - 1
Twite - 88, including at least 10 ringed prior to this winter and the usual Machrihanish bird.  Therefore no real evidence of departure e.g. by older birds familiar with the journey
Black-headed Gull - still 125, mainly s.p.adults on Fisher's roof at high tide
Red-throated Diver - flock of 4 flying into the Bay

Heysham NR office area
Meadow Pipit - c60 NE early on, then a complete block from at least 0900hrs
Robin - two  very heavy unringed birds which are presumably migrants putting on fat
Blue Tit - one unringed bird

Off Carr Lane
Stonechat - female in the area of reeds and damp field between the Middleton Towers complex and
the footpath leading from the cattery to the shore

Spring has arrived!

Spring weather hasn't arrived but this Wheatear photographed by Janet has made it to Red Nab.  It may well be the one reported yesterday.

North Harbour Wall
Twite 69
Rock Pipit 1
Robin 2

Whoopers chill out

Heysham Obs

South of harbour
Wigeon - 89 Red Nab
Gadwall - pair on Red Nab
Whooper Swan - 10 arrived from the south and landed on the tidal edge at 0930 and fell asleep for at least two hours, despite the receding tide leaving them high and dry
Meadow Pipit - off-passage gang of 10

Middleton NR
Little Egret - 1
Goldeneye - female model boat  pond

North harbour wall
Twite - c100 but flighty
Red-throated Diver - one casually seen offshore (no lengthy seawatching)

Thanks to Pete Antrobus, Janet Packham for today's records

Counting the lingerers

Heysham Obs
Completely dead in terms of coastal new arrivals/sea passage

North harbour wall
Absolutely nothing moving over the sea in 30 minutes watch
Twite - 87 (just enough time to count them before flew off)
Goldfinch - 3

Ocean Edge inner foreshore
Knot - 2300
Dunlin - 670
Bar-tailed Godwit - 1850
& more of the above species plus Grey Plover further to south.  Justifying the new notices!

Outfalls/Red Nab
Black-headed Gull - 374 - 80% s.p. ads
Wigeon - 47

The beast from the east continues

Heysham Obs
Made it today after 45 mins drive-clearing and negotiating the 1 metre snowdrift on Millhouses hill (thanks to the snow ploughs). Heysham was cold and snowless.

Ocean Edge/Red Nab
Little Gull - ad seaward end of stage 1 outfall
Black-headed Gull - loads, many in full breeding plumage but still in winter feeding mode
Stonechat - male Ocean Edge saltmarsh edge
Wigeon - just 39 seen

Thanks Janet -  taken this morning at Red Nab

Middleton NR
Skylark - flock of 3
Snipe - 1
Gadwall - 2
Teal -21
Goldeneye -  1
Mallard - 1
Pochard - 1
Tufted Duck -11
Coot - 5
Mute Swan 2+2 juv

North wall
Red-throated Diver - 2 together on sea
Twite - 67, 6 unringed, usual Machihanish bird, 9 ringed pre-winter 2012/13

A winter's day in spring

Snow in the air but not on the ground at Heysham this morning. 

North Harbour Wall
The strong easterly wind had caused a few drifts of nyger seed in the gully between Centrica and the sandplant so the 67 Twite were a little bit spread out.  One Twite sported a racing red ring, presumably one of the Machrahanish birds.  Only one unringed bird seen.  Robin and 2 Linnets.

Ocean Edge
The new interpretation boards have gone up.  They look pretty smart! 

Middleton Nature Reserve - model boat pond
A female Lapwing was back on the spit.

Other species on and around the pond:
Oystercatcher 1
Magpie 2
Carrion Crow 6
Jackdaw 2
Moorhen 1
Coot 1
Mute Swan - Mum, Dad and the 2 kids as usual.
Tufted Duck - 2 pairs and a spare male
Gadwall - 2 pairs
Goldeneye - female
Black-headed Gull 52
Lesser Black-backed Gull 10
Herring Gull 3

Bits

Just two bits!  34 Meadow Pipits over and 49 Twite on the seed.

Whooper highlight

Heysham Obs
The only remotely interesting new birds today were a flock of 15 Whooper Swans heading north over the bay

North harbour wall
Twite - c65
Eider - 206
Red-throated Diver - 1
Whooper Swan - 15 north at 0950hrs

Heysham NR office area
Robin - 2 unringed birds caught
Meadow Pipit - c65 NE
Chaffinch - 15 NE
Goldfinch - 2 NE
Greenfinch - flock of 6 NE
alba Wagtail - 4 NE
Grey Wagtail - 1 NE
Sparrowhawk - 3 displaying over the ringing rides for 25 minutes early morning

More dribs and drabs

Heysham Obs
Pretty good coverage this morning in a nice calm slot, but things were still desperately slow and certainly no sign of Portland's 5,000 Meadow Pipits reaching us

Long-tailed Tits are still in small flock/feeder visiting mode in this cold weather.  Thanks Janet

Office area
Robin - two unringed birds caught
Blue Tit - two unringed birds caught
Dunnock - two unringed birds caught
Meadow Pipit - c75 NE (but only 3 over north wall), half a dozen or so ringed
alba Wagtail - c6 NE & 7 more over north wall
Goldcrest - 1 poss 2
No obvious finch passage
No obvious thrush arrival

North harbour wall
Kittiwake - flock of 14 high to the north at 0840hrs
Red-throated Diver - 2 on water
Great-crested Grebe - 9+ on water
Eider - just 72
Purple Sandpiper - harbour end of the north wall
Twite - 94 - at least 3 unringed but no sign of Machrihanish bird
Linnet - four including singing male on mound gorse
Grey Wagtail - 1 NE

Middleton model boat pond
Redshank - 1
Gadwall - 2

Mammal
Grey Seal close inshore

Bits of movement

Heysham Obs
Office area
Meadow Pipit - 2 north
Goldcrest - 2 unringed birds
Canada Goose - four heading north then circling round and heading south

North wall
Twite - 63
Linnet - 3
Goldfinch - 3
Eider - c180
Red-throated Diver - 1
Black-headed Gull - still c170 around, including many s.p. adults

Outfalls/Red Nab
Wigeon - 101
Little Egret - 1

Moth
The drought is ended with a March Moth!

Just a trickle of Meadow Pipit and Pied Wagtail

Heysham Obs
North harbour wall
Pretty dead with just:
Rock Pipit - 1
Eider - 181
Twite - c70-75
Med Gull - 3CY present in the afternoon

Heysham NR
Meadow Pipit - 12-15 NE (2 ringed)
alba Wagtail - 4 NE
Possible influx of Blackbird (5+) and Song Thrush (at least 2 apparent migrants)

Half-moon Bay
Common Buzzard - one flew south at 1035hrs (local?)

More migratory blocking in cloud and rain

Heysham Obs
Ironically, give the wet conditions, offshore visibility was not too bad at low tide.  Presumably wasn't raining not too far to the west

North harbour wall
Rock Pipit - 1
Eider - c205
Red-throated Diver - just the one seen but fishing boat operating in Kent channel
Twite - c90 but uncooperative

Heysham NR
Post-rain ringing produced the highlight of an unringed Dunnock!  One Meadow Pipit flew NE

There have been no moths in the trap since 2nd March - this must be some kind of record for March, but perhaps hardly surprising in the weather conditions and looking likely to continue if there are none during a miniscule 'window' tonight

Corporate nosh for the 3CY Med

Heysham Obs
The lefovers from the biodiversity audit banquet were dispatched over the north harbour wall today in the direction of Lesser Black-backed, Herring, Black-headed Gulls and the single remaining 3CY Belgian-ringed Med Gull

North harbour wall
Twite - 97, including 5-6 unringed and the usual Machrihanish-ringed bird
Goldfinch - 3
Rock Pipit - 1
Linnet - 2
Med Gull - 3CY
Red-throated Diver - one offshore
Purple Sandpiper - along the seawall at lunchtime

Ocean Edge/Red Nab
Wigeon - 42
Rock Pipit - 2

Middleton NR
Gadwall - 4
Mute Swan - 6 (2 juv)
Coot - 5
Moorhen - 6
Mallard - 8
Tufted Duck - 10
Goldeneye - 1
Pochad - 1
Teal - 7
Little Egret - 1

Mammals
Grey Seal - 1 harbour mouth

Thanks for both the pics Janet

Conditions on the incoming tide were not suitable for seawatchng with very poor visibility.  Similarly, there was no 'vis' except perhaps Rock Pipit

Gannets!

Well, only 3 Gannets but the first this year. All adults going 'into' the Bay.

North Harbour Wall 0820-0920
Gannet - 3
Red-throated Diver - 9 (4, 3, 1, 1, floating in along the Kent Channel)
Great-crested Grebe - 2 displaying and 2 singles
Red-breasted Merganser - 13 (6prs and a spare male)
Eider - 220
Kittiwake - raft of 20-50 in the distance, 2 other lots heard but not seen.
Canada Goose - 3 floating in with the tide.
Rock Pipit - 2
Turnstone - 67
Ringed Plover - 1 flew NE
Mediterranean Gull - 3 (3CY and adult male and female.  The latter were not the wintering birds but possibly the pair from the other day.  All on Fisher's Roof at high tide).
Twite - 75-80
Linnet - 2
Goldfinch - 3
Robin - 1

Grey Seal - 1

Vis:
Pied Wagtail - 2 over North Wall
Meadow Pipit - 3+ over North Wall, 20 over Nature Reserve

Land, sea and air blockade

Heysham Obs
Absolutely nothing happened this morning in the continuing hopeless migrant synopsis other than the possible passage status of two Rock Pipit!

North harbour wall
Twite - 85, including the usual Machrihanish bird, just one-two  unringed
Linnet - two by heliport
Rock Pipit - either one very fast flyer (c30mph and beating the car) or one by the twite feeder and one on the near naze
Red-throated Diver - a singleton blogging was the only bird seen offshore on the incoming tide - really bad!

Heysham NR
Despite plenty of opportunity to connect, not a single bird in the 'vis' category headed overhead during the morning

Back to winter mode

Heysham Obs
The 3CY Med returned for a short period at high tide, along with a 'new' adult female.  Hardly anything was singing and even the Twite were quieter than usual at this time of year.  A trilling call sounding like an overflying Snow Bunting was heard during a mid-morning visit by Jean, but no bird could be located in the bright sunlight

North harbour wall
Twite - at least 91
Med Gull - The now darvic-ringed 3CY returned for a short period before being seen later in the afternoon around Morecamhbe old lifeboat station by Snow Bunting watchers, along with a 'new' adult female - the wintering adult female had a more advanced summer plumage on the head.  These are the first Med sightings since the 3CY was ringed
Goldfinch - one on seed
Red-throated Diver - despite the good visibility, just the one seen on the dropping tide

Heysham NR
Meadow Pipit - one flew over heading north-east!
Goldfinch - influx of 10+ on to feeders

Stock Dove return

Heysham Obs
First Stock Doves for a couple of years by the Middleton model boat pond

Middleton NR model boat pond
Lapwing - two pairs by model boat pond, one female with ring on - over to you dog walkers as to whether this is going to be a successful breeding season
Stock Dove - two by model boat pond
Gadwall - 3 pairs - promising!
Goldeneye - female
Tufted Dove - 8
Mallard -2
Pochard - 3 males
Mute Swan -  2 ad, 2 2CY

North harbour wall
Up to at least 74 twite, 69 of them here: (thanks Janet)

Nearby:
An extremely confiding Snow Bunting showing well by the old lifeboat station north of the stone jetty - on the gravel right alongside the promenade:

Thanks Janet

.Also c25 Waxwings Clarendon Road but mobile

Good job it is not midwinter!

Heysham Obs
Big wind-chill today - especially for the single Sand Martin at Pine lake!  WeBS count was stunningly unremarkable with just the Purple Sandpiper of note and further confirmation that the Meds have gone. Better was a gang of 5 Waxwings, mainly in the tank farm for at least 15 minutes.

Office area
Waxwing - 5 between at least 1300 and 1315hrs in the tank farm area & wouldnt touch the apples which have been stuck on the end of the branches in the mist net ride!
Long-tailed Tit -as per the weather - up to 5 still in 'feeder attendance' mode, not nestbuilding!

WeBS
Purple Sandpiper - on the seawall near the harbour mouth
Turnstone - 111 roosting on what remained of Red Nab, not on the wooden jetty
Wigeon - 82 Red Nab

Twite - only seen briefly and block counted to around 100

Doing the rounds

Heysham Obs
Malcolm and I gave the area pretty good coverage this morning and the most notable things were a male Blackcap at Middleton, a Black-tailed Godwit off Ocean Edge and confirmation of  the impression of the last two days that most of the small gulls have departed with just 23 Black-headed on Fisher's roof at high tide and none of the Meds around

North harbour wall
Twite - max count of 106.  The usual Machrihanish bird, green/white over pale blue (1), pale blue over green/white (2), orange/blue over pale blue (2-3), pale blue over orange/blue (1), pale blue over red/white (2-3), unringed 3 poss 4, c90 with this winter's colour ring sequences. No other finches on the seed
Purple Sandpiper - 1
Turnstone - 84 (& 38 Red Nab)
Red-throated Diver - just one offshore at HT

Red Nab and area
Wigeon - 76
Little Egret -  1
Black-tailed Godwit -  1

Middleton NR ponds
Blackcap - male near no swimming pond
Gadwall - jusst 2
Goldeneye -  1
Tufted Duck - 9
Teal -  5
Coott - 9
Little Grebe -1+
Pochard - 3
Mallard - 6
Moorhen - 3+
Mute Swan - 6

Meadow Pipit trickle

Heysham Obs
Out for three relatively short periods today and all three produced some overhead Meadow Pipits.  However, hardly the numbers to prompt a vis session: All heading north-east rather low in the stiff easterly wind

Office area
Meadow Pipit: 2+1+2 north-east

North harbour wall
Twite - c95

Twite mystery

Heysham Obs
A Twite was seen this morning with a dark green (presumed) site ring above another palish ring but the views were ever so brief before they were flushed by activity in the centrica yard

North harbour wall
106 birds on the seed of which 104 were ringed:
Twite - 101, 2 unringed, the above bird and the usual Machrihanish-ringed bird (the 67 end of the ring was read)
Linnet -3 ringed
Goldfinch - 2 ringed

No obvious sign of any Meds

Thin pickings

Heysham Obs
The only remote sign of any new action today was a single Lapwing on territory on the model boat pond and two Meadow Pipit seemingly 'in-off' at the north harbour wall this morning.  Offshore visibility very poor.

North harbour wall
Twite - 84
Goldfinch - one ringed bird
Meadow Pipit - 2 in -off, then on to mound
no Meds seen

Middleton NR
Lapwing - one on territory

Perils of discarded fishing line

Heysham Obs
Fortunately there was a Twite-ringing session this morning...fortunately for the 3CY Med Gull which ended up with a barbed hook in its mouth with the weight at the other end jammed into a crevice on the seawall:

The hook was successfully removed and the bird seemed none the worse, so we added a darvic ring to the above-tarsus Belgian metal ring as follows:

This should make individually identifying this returning bird much easier when it comes back as an adult.....assuming it doesnt swallow some anglers bait away from assistance......and maybe it will be recorded on passage/on its future breeding grounds
Twite - 29 caught, including 4 unringed, the metal-only bird ringed elsewhere which was caught in January (origin unknown as yet) and the regular Machrihanish bird 
Med Gull - no obvious sign of any adults today

Insects
The first butterfly of the year - a Small Tortoiseshell at Red Nab

 Thanks Janet

 

Stonechat migrant and returning Purple sandpiper

Heysham Obs
Dont know what happened with yesterdays posting but its is now below this one - maybe it was such inconsequential rubbish, the blog refused to post

Red Nab
Stonechat - adult female - pics later (thanks for the info Janet -first successful twitch of the year!)

Thanks Janet for this and the Gadwall pic below

North harbour wall
Purple Sandpiper - one just the south side of harbour on rocks with Turnstone
Eider - c153
Twite - 95, 7 unringed, one Machrihanish bird and at least 18 with rings pre-winter 2012/3
Med Gull - remaining wintering female (unringed), new male displaying to her with not much summer pluameg on head & 3CY trying to muscle in and indicating that he is also a male.  NO sign of Czech-ringed adult, presumed gone (as usual by now)

Heysham NR
Small influx of thrushes with 5 migrant Blackbird, 2 Song Thrush and 3 Redwing
Jay - plucked feathers from this species in eastern woodland - Sparrowhawk?

Middleton NR
The usual quota of ducks, including:

Chimney pot Jackdaw sensation

Heysham Obs
The first ever Jackdaws sat on chimney pots for the Heysham (as opposed to Middleton) area today by the Trumacar stores - a very strange absence in this area which is good for determining migratory flocks in autumn

Late news for yesterday - a Red-legged Partridge of obviously dubious (but arent they all) origin by the office yesterday afternoon

Trumacar stores early morning
Jackdaw - two on chimneypot over the road

North harbour wall
Hazy early morning so just c200  Eider noted offshore
Twite - eventually 102 but very flighty - 6+ unringed, later 4/60 unringed

Moths
An Acleris hastiana of the stripy form was disturbed by the office and a Dotted Border was in the trap

Springtime for Greylags

Heysham Obs
The first incursion this year on to Middleton NR ponds

Middleton NR (thanks Malcolm)
Snipe 5
Mute Swan - 6 (2 juv)
Coot - 9
Moorhen - 8
Teal - 46
Little Grebe - just 2
Tufted Duck - 18
Greylag - 2
Mallard - 5
Gadwall - 5
Pochard - 3
Goldeneye- 1
Pink-footed Goose - 147 north 0847hrs

Red Nab area
Wigeon - 126
Little Egret - 1

North wall offshore at low tide
Eider - 210
Red-breasted Merganser - 16

North wall inshore
Med Gull - Czech adult and Belgian 3CY
Mute Swan - 2CY by near naze
Twite - 102, including usual Machrihanish bird and 6+ unringed
Goldfinch - 1

Ringing by office
Unringed Goldfinch (2), Greenfinch and Blackbird plus four retrap Long-tailed Tit

Dydd Gwyl Dewi Sant

St David's Day in case you were wondering.

As you can see, St David was a keen birder and always went round with a white dove on his shoulder.  No white doves at Heysham today but the following birds were seen from the
North Harbour Wall
Red-throated Diver - 2 distantly on the water
Great-crested Grebe - 6 floating in with the tide and a couple of them displaying to each other
Red-breasted Merganser - 9 also floating in and doing a bit of ducking and diving at the same time
Eider -  76 visible
Peregrine - 1 staking out some waders
Mediterranean Gull - 1 adult with an almost full black head
Twite - 72
Vis?
Greenfinch - 1 NE
Canada Goose - 9 N

Heysham Nature Reserve
Another unringed Long-tailed Tit caught
Great-spotted Woodpecker near the entrance gate
Negative news on daffodils and leeks.