Mark Smart

@BillyBloodworm Yep, Steve has done a great job in turning the site around following many years of challenges.. looked round it a year or so ago, had never seen it so wet

A privilege to be shown around NTs Heigham Holmes by the site manager last week. What a wildfowl spectacle! 70+ White-fronted Geese amongst the 4-5,000 duck, mainly Teal, Shoveler, Wigeon and Pintail.

@echinoblog M I’m w.

NEW paper describing #mesophotic Oreasteridae and a new species of the "pumpkin star" Astrosarkus! download here: (image by Patrick Plantard) museumsvictoria.com.au/collections-re…

@echinoblog MmM m m Pm Mm

@CoralReefFish @ScienceMagazine @SteinhartBart @Dr_Yannis @pimbongaerts @calacademy @NSF M ok. B n What makes You You Mmmm mmm. I M.

For a long time people assumed that #mesophotic ecosystems were untouched refuges for shallow coral reef fauna. Our new paper in @sciencemagazine today shows that this is not the case! Deep reefs are unique and threatened! science.sciencemag.org/content/361/63…

@Yarmouthbirder @rbransell Possibly, has taken many others to get it over the line though, it is a special one for me as we called the area Loughlins, in memory of Ralph.

@markasmart @rbransell In many ways, this was one of your main projects prior to leaving, a legacy in the making 👍!!

Breydon Water, exciting high water level remodelling of the Lockgate north wall marshes now underway. 9 diggers and 6 dumper trucks all busy. Best, 33 Little Egrets together on one marsh, 7 Ruff, Curlew Sand, 7 Knot (6 peachy juvs), 7 Golden and 2 Grey Plover, 9+ Com Sandpipers.

@Yarmouthbirder @rbransell It’s great to see this project finally happening, think it is 7 years in the making…

@rbransell Yes Roger, an exciting project. Numerous scrapes should attract many wading birds and wildfowl and complement the numerous waterfowl using the RSPB Breydon/ Berney complex.

@GTAlstonWader @RSPB_OldMoor @Heather_Benn88 @YoungStandPipe Cheers Gav. It’s always nice to see how thing you have done have developed and are working.

@Johnpingham @RSPBAireValley Looking great John, they always look better when they fill up with water

@RSPBAireValley @markasmart Holding water already after a bit of rain. Looks fantastic.

Been a busy few days on the spoil spreader front, Cheshire, @WWTMartinMere, @RSPBAireValley St Aidan’s @NosterfieldLNR Now at @RSPBSaltholme . Mix of habitat creation for waders, waterfowl, and marginal wetland plants. Hasn’t all gone smoothly but we are still moving forward.

@upstarts1979 Sure that could be arranged, get in touch and we can have a chat about it.

A great tool for creating wader breeding habitat, would be nice to see this done at #uptonwarren 🤔

A busy start to the footdrain cleaning season. First job working on a @CheshireWT site near Ellesmere Port. Features were installed for breeding waders but haven’t been maintained for a number of year. New Holland T6 auto command been put through is paces. #rspbelm @PammentJim

Job alert!📢 We are looking for a conservation scientist to explore how scrub habitats can be created and maintained for use as landscape-scale interventions for priority bird species, including Cuckoo, Turtle Dove and Nightingale. Pls RT. Details 👉 bit.ly/47cPKLP

This week is new tractor week for the #RSPBELM team. Proud owner of a T6.180 from @ErnestDoeSons of South Walsham. This tractor will be working across England creating wetland habitats for water birds, working with private landowners, NGO’s and eNGO’s. @PammentJim @RSPBEngland

📢Job alert! 📢 We have a fantastic opportunity for a Conservation Scientist with a background in ecology, applied statistics & remote sensing to model conservation strategies for lowland waders @RSPBScience #ornithology Deadline 24th July. Pls RT! Info👉bit.ly/3NAPVrc

Extremely lucky to be on leave for 2 weeks in Delaware Bay. This is the largest spawning area in the world for Horseshoe Crabs. Each May, they come to the beaches to spawn. At the same time, 1000s of shorebirds - stopover on their annual migration from South America to the Arctic

@BillyBloodworm Looking forward to a return visit this autum with the spoil spreader to carry on the footdrain refreshing work.

St Aidans: a wetland in its prime with a 50ha+ reedbed, created by restoring an old open cast mine. Breeding Bittern (4 boomers), Pochard and Black-necked Grebe. B-n G’s now moving to wet grassland. Abundant small fish visible suggesting reedbed pops are increasing. #23in23

“Massive costs, massive damage, massive risks.” I'm grateful to Professor David Hill CBE who shares his thoughts on the idea for a Wash barrage in our latest Wild Ken hill blog. Safe to say we are in agreement. 👇 wildkenhill.co.uk/guest-blog-dav…

North Devon coast. Never been here before so thought I would pop over as I am working near Exeter this week then along the south coast with site visits for a few weeks after that. Friends, you have been warned, you might get an unexpected visitor…..

@ruskin147 I have been following this story with fascination, this tweet made me cry. Absolutly amazing. Well done to you and to Sophie for allowing you into her world.

After a slightly tricky morning I had my longest loveliest cuddle yet with #sophiefromromania

@ElmleyNNR I’m good thanks Gareth. Hope you are the same. One of our spoil spreaders. This link below gives you a better idea of the machine, quick and easier than a 360 and material is spread so quickly disappear into the sward with no spoil banks created. m.youtube.com/watch?v=3rB6Fw…

@markasmart What is he using Mark? Hope all’s well. Gareth

More great wader habitat being installed by Adam from #RSPBELM at Dingle Marshes as part of a wider strategy to deliver more habitat for breeding waders across Suffolk. #footdrains #wetlands #water