Rob Smith
@robertsjsmith.bsky.social
🔬 Naturalist
📍 Norfolk & occasionally beyond
💼 Wildlife conservation - 10+ years
➕️Pan-species listing, 🏋♂️Crossfit, ⚽️ KLTFC
💻 https://rs-ecology.blogspot.com/
📍 Norfolk & occasionally beyond
💼 Wildlife conservation - 10+ years
➕️Pan-species listing, 🏋♂️Crossfit, ⚽️ KLTFC
💻 https://rs-ecology.blogspot.com/
A quick post-work bash at Waxham last night in hopes of digging out a Yellow-browed Warbler — no luck there, but a nice fresh arrival of Goldcrests made up for it, along with Redwing, Song Thrush, Siskin, and a Chiffchaff.
October 14, 2025 at 6:54 AM
A quick post-work bash at Waxham last night in hopes of digging out a Yellow-browed Warbler — no luck there, but a nice fresh arrival of Goldcrests made up for it, along with Redwing, Song Thrush, Siskin, and a Chiffchaff.
A slow but pleasant morning at Waxham with 220+ Siskin and a single Swallow north. Moved on to Gt. Yarmouth where the Red-footed Falcon was still showing nicely, then home just in time to catch a couple of Crossbill over the pad!
October 11, 2025 at 12:37 PM
A slow but pleasant morning at Waxham with 220+ Siskin and a single Swallow north. Moved on to Gt. Yarmouth where the Red-footed Falcon was still showing nicely, then home just in time to catch a couple of Crossbill over the pad!
Pleased to catch up with the Snettisham Short-toed Lark yesterday — it spent most of the evening feeding along the strandline before moving to the footpath, where it showed beautifully! Just a shame the light had gone 🙄
#Norfolkbirding
#Norfolkbirding
October 11, 2025 at 5:43 AM
Pleased to catch up with the Snettisham Short-toed Lark yesterday — it spent most of the evening feeding along the strandline before moving to the footpath, where it showed beautifully! Just a shame the light had gone 🙄
#Norfolkbirding
#Norfolkbirding
Sods to pick up but over 40 Crossbills south through Waxham so far this morning.
September 28, 2025 at 8:44 AM
Sods to pick up but over 40 Crossbills south through Waxham so far this morning.
After a busy week of pond restorations, it was nice to get out and do some birding! Like most, I headed to Winterton where the Lesser Grey Shrike showed cripplingly well, and an Arctic Skua dropped onto the Natterjack pools!
September 27, 2025 at 8:28 PM
After a busy week of pond restorations, it was nice to get out and do some birding! Like most, I headed to Winterton where the Lesser Grey Shrike showed cripplingly well, and an Arctic Skua dropped onto the Natterjack pools!
Nice to be on the other side of the Black-winged Kite twitch tonight and not worry about car parking etc. Arrived with everyone leaving as it had flown high south but a look at 100 Acre Deadwood and there it sat! It remained till c.1930 before vanishing low south after several hovers.
September 7, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Nice to be on the other side of the Black-winged Kite twitch tonight and not worry about car parking etc. Arrived with everyone leaving as it had flown high south but a look at 100 Acre Deadwood and there it sat! It remained till c.1930 before vanishing low south after several hovers.
Took a lunchtime stroll along the riverbank at Riverside, Norwich yesterday, where @tim-hodge.bsky.social found Norfolk’s latest botanical newcomer — Salvia hispanica.
September 3, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Took a lunchtime stroll along the riverbank at Riverside, Norwich yesterday, where @tim-hodge.bsky.social found Norfolk’s latest botanical newcomer — Salvia hispanica.
A trip to the seaside this evening - Ray's Knotgrass, Shrubby Hare's-ear and White Stonecrop.
September 1, 2025 at 7:39 PM
A trip to the seaside this evening - Ray's Knotgrass, Shrubby Hare's-ear and White Stonecrop.
A gorgeous intermediate juvenile Long-tailed Skua was the highlight of a few hours afloat off the North Norfolk coast yesterday.
📷 David Bratt
📷 David Bratt
September 1, 2025 at 7:26 AM
A gorgeous intermediate juvenile Long-tailed Skua was the highlight of a few hours afloat off the North Norfolk coast yesterday.
📷 David Bratt
📷 David Bratt
Lost count of the Elms I've checked but finally found the mines of the Zig-zag Elm Sawfly (Aproceros leucopoda) at a local dog park this morning.
August 24, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Lost count of the Elms I've checked but finally found the mines of the Zig-zag Elm Sawfly (Aproceros leucopoda) at a local dog park this morning.
Birding was a bit quiet yesterday, so we wandered the saltmarsh at Thornham instead. Paid off nicely with a few North Norfolk specials – including these four gems: Pseudaplemonus limonii, Campiglossa absinthii, Marram Grass Chelifer and the Wormwood Case-bearer.
August 17, 2025 at 6:06 AM
Birding was a bit quiet yesterday, so we wandered the saltmarsh at Thornham instead. Paid off nicely with a few North Norfolk specials – including these four gems: Pseudaplemonus limonii, Campiglossa absinthii, Marram Grass Chelifer and the Wormwood Case-bearer.
Highlights from todays fieldwork...Cyperus Sedge, Emperor Dragonfly and Meadow Barley.
June 24, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Highlights from todays fieldwork...Cyperus Sedge, Emperor Dragonfly and Meadow Barley.
Hard and Soft Rush from todays survey.
June 24, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Hard and Soft Rush from todays survey.
Spent a crippling hot day in Winterton Dunes over the weekend on the hunt for the recently sighted Vagrant Emperors. Whilst they didn't show themselves a Lesser Emperor did as well as 5+ Red-veined Darters, a Brown & 2 Norfolk Hawkers.
June 24, 2025 at 6:34 AM
Spent a crippling hot day in Winterton Dunes over the weekend on the hunt for the recently sighted Vagrant Emperors. Whilst they didn't show themselves a Lesser Emperor did as well as 5+ Red-veined Darters, a Brown & 2 Norfolk Hawkers.
We were too late getting to Cley for the Night Heron, and real bogey of mine, but made up for it with a picnic dinner watching over Arnold's, Hattie seeing her first Yellow horned-poppies and the escapee Greater Sea Kale in the VC CP.
June 23, 2025 at 10:33 AM
We were too late getting to Cley for the Night Heron, and real bogey of mine, but made up for it with a picnic dinner watching over Arnold's, Hattie seeing her first Yellow horned-poppies and the escapee Greater Sea Kale in the VC CP.
Hatties latest find. 😅
Signal Crayfish, River Yare, Norfolk.
Signal Crayfish, River Yare, Norfolk.
June 22, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Hatties latest find. 😅
Signal Crayfish, River Yare, Norfolk.
Signal Crayfish, River Yare, Norfolk.
Marsh Cinquefoil (Comarum palustre) from Strumpshaw Fen y'day. It was a species I always hoped to come across whilst working at Hickling but never did.
June 22, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Marsh Cinquefoil (Comarum palustre) from Strumpshaw Fen y'day. It was a species I always hoped to come across whilst working at Hickling but never did.
NFG 😄
Six-belted Clearwing, Sprowston.
Six-belted Clearwing, Sprowston.
June 19, 2025 at 5:32 PM
NFG 😄
Six-belted Clearwing, Sprowston.
Six-belted Clearwing, Sprowston.
Had a great couple of days surveying meadows in South Norfolk and seeing the results from green hay but it's back to e-mails and boring office admin now!
📷 Dyer's Greenweed (Genista tinctoria) & Spiny Restharrow (Ononis spinosa)
📷 Dyer's Greenweed (Genista tinctoria) & Spiny Restharrow (Ononis spinosa)
June 18, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Had a great couple of days surveying meadows in South Norfolk and seeing the results from green hay but it's back to e-mails and boring office admin now!
📷 Dyer's Greenweed (Genista tinctoria) & Spiny Restharrow (Ononis spinosa)
📷 Dyer's Greenweed (Genista tinctoria) & Spiny Restharrow (Ononis spinosa)
Sulphur Clover (Trifolium ochroleucon) in abundance at a South Norfolk meadow today.
June 17, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Sulphur Clover (Trifolium ochroleucon) in abundance at a South Norfolk meadow today.
Last week really was a top-notch week for plants and there's hopefully more to come this week with two days surveying coming up.
June 16, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Last week really was a top-notch week for plants and there's hopefully more to come this week with two days surveying coming up.
Slender Thistle (Carduus tenuiflorus) on the northern bank of the River Yare, Reedham tonight.
June 15, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Slender Thistle (Carduus tenuiflorus) on the northern bank of the River Yare, Reedham tonight.
Still can't get over having these on our estate! One showing well tonight scraping around for worms and beetles.
June 15, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Still can't get over having these on our estate! One showing well tonight scraping around for worms and beetles.
Bee Orchid 𝘖𝘱𝘩𝘳𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘢 var. 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘶𝘮 in Mulbarton, South Norfolk, today.
June 14, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Bee Orchid 𝘖𝘱𝘩𝘳𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘢 var. 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘶𝘮 in Mulbarton, South Norfolk, today.