So far it has been an excellent spring for Ring Ouzel on Soil Hill, with this very handsome male now continuing into his third day!
However, he is a particularly elusive individual, and my sightings have been restricted to brief appearances!
#SoilHillBirding
I was beginning to wonder where the Soil Hill Wheatears were this spring...
So it was a relief to find a fresh dumping of 10 this morning!
Quite simply the finest bird in Britain!
#SoilHillBirding #UKBirding
An excellent morning birding on Soil Hill, in pleasant spring conditions!
The undoubted highlight was my 7th Soil Hill Osprey heading distantly north!
A very nice backup cast, including this rather conspicuous Jack Snipe not even requiring the thermal to spot!
#SoilHillBirding #UKBirding
I initially missed notifications about Common Scoters heading inland last night, so didn't start listening until 21:30!
A flock heard over the house at 21:40 convinced me to head up to Soil Hill, but after an hour I only managed a single flock of 6 birds!
#SoilHillBirding #UKBirding
A glorious return to Soil Hill for the week!
I hoped for some Whooper Swan action, and I got some with birds distantly on Mixenden Reservoir!
But the show was very much stolen by this handsome male Ring Ouzel, my 1st March record here!
The Hill never disappoints!
#SoilHillBirding #UKBirding
💥SOIL HILL PATCH TICK💥
💥NUMBER 133💥
💥ICELAND GULL💥
I was not expecting much today, it being a blustery February morning!
But Soil Hill always produces!
Absolutely incredible scenes when this stunning white-winger flew past!
#soilhillbirding #UKbirding
Great Black-backed Gull!!!
For just the second time in my 19 years watching Soil Hill!
It's been a steady February on Soil Hill for my first visits of 2026, but I certainly enjoyed this brute heading north this morning!
#SoilHillBirding #UKBirding
💥SOIL HILL PATCH TICK💥
💥NUMBER 132💥
💥RING-NECKED PARAKEET💥
I was not expecting much for my final Soil Hill visit of the autumn, but then two RN Parakeet flew south! An unexpected patch tick!
Also my second Great Egret went north!
Absolute scenes!
#SoilHillBirding #UKBirding
Despite glorious conditions, it was a rather slow morning on Soil Hill!
But Soil Hill always offers something to enjoy! And today it was a flock of four Lesser Redpolls feeding on thistles with Goldfinches!
A nice change from the flyover views I usually get here!
#SoilHillBirding #UKBirding
A magnificent showing of Pink-footed Goose migration today, with 1016 counted in 19 skeins making their way over Soil Hill this morning!
If they had looked down, they would have seen a solitary observer, standing perishing in the cold, yet loving every minute!
#SoilHillBirding #UKBirding
Thick, low cloud and strong winds prevented any VizMig from getting going on Soil Hill this morning!
Fortunately, the morning was salvaged when I flushed a Grasshopper Warbler, before it showed nicely!
My latest on Soil Hill by two weeks!
#SoilHillBirding #UKBirding
Finally a clear day to get up to Soil Hill for some succulent VizMig!
And a great morning it turned out to be, more than doubling my previous Swallow record count with my new total standing at 249!
Also a very enjoyable 1022 Meadow Pipits south!
#SoilHillBirding #UKBirding
💥💥SOIL HILL PATCH TICK💥💥
💥💥NUMBER 131💥💥
💥💥MEDITERRANEAN GULL💥💥
First morning of the autumn back on the Hill and already a patch tick! Sadly it was rather distant, but stood out a mile from the stream of Black-headed Gulls!
#SoilHillBirding #UKBirding
It seems to have been a good breeding season so far for the birds on Soil Hill!
8 Whitethroat pairs with 6 confirmed carrying food is a new personal Hill record! Plus 1st time confirming Song Thrush!
But none of that compares to this sexy beast I found! 😍😍😍
#SoilHillBirding #UKBirding
It took a cumulative four hours over five days, but I finally FINALLY managed to get one sequence of photos of the Soil Hill Garden Warbler!
It then resumed its usual phantom behavior, singing away from the depths of the vegetation!
#SoilHillBirding #UKBirding
A drizzly morning saw a new Grasshopper Warbler singing on Soil Hill!
A late singer, normally they’ve gone silent by the end of May!
My nemesis Garden Warbler continues into its 4th day and still no photo!
How can a bird be so vocal but so impossible to see?!
#SoilHillBirding #UKBirding
💥SOIL HILL PATCH TICK💥
💥NUMBER 130💥
💥GARDEN WARBLER💥
Despite singing throughout my visit, a frustratingly windy morning meant in 90 minutes I only saw it once with no photos!
But still...
SPECIES 130 FOR SOIL HILL!!!
And Garden Warbler is my 10th Warbler!!!
#SoilHillBirding #UKBirding
An enjoyable and sunny morning on Soil Hill, surrounded by singing warblers and topped off with this excellent Marsh Harrier!
Just about annual for this site, so always a welcome addition to any visit!
#SoilHillBirding
Despite the rain it was a very productive morning on Soil Hill!
Headliners include the first Halifax Grasshopper Warbler of the year, a welcome sight after 2024s poor showing for this species!
Also another male Ring Ouzel and a Red Kite north!
#SoilHillBirding #UKBirding
It's turning into an excellent week for Ring Ouzel on Soil Hill, with a nice female present this morning!
2020 was my best spring, with five individuals, but I'm already at four this year, rapidly closing in on a new record!
#SoilHillBirding #UKBirding
I was delighted to find my first Ring Ouzel of the spring this morning!
Especially since it was two males together!
And then a female dropped in later on!
Three Ring Ouzel in one morning! Sometimes, Soil Hill can be a fantastic place for birding!
#SoilHillBirding #UKBirding
Normally I get just one or two Red Kites a year for Soil Hill...
But the first time today I got two in the SAME DAY! Both heading southwest, one 40 minutes after the other!
Even in the depths of winter, Soil Hill proves to be unpredictable!
#SoilHillBirding #UKBirding
Well the local Partridges were having an awful morning on a snowy Soil Hill!
But it makes a welcome change from what has otherwise been a very foggy autumn...
#SoilHillBirding #UKBirding
It was quite the morning for Wildfowl on Soil Hill: a record count of 28 Mallards, another record count of 11 Teal, and only my second-ever Soil Hill Wigeons!
All vibing on the NK Pond before heading off!
#SoilHillBirding #UKBirding
💥SOIL HILL PATCH TICK💥
💥NUMBER 129💥
💥HAWFINCH💥
Despite a the fog and low cloud, it was still an enjoyable morning on the Hill!
A decent Thrush passage with the first Fieldfares of the autumn plus Redwing!
Topped off by 2 Hawfinch, alas too quick for photos!
#SoilHillBirding #UKBirding
Its that time of year again on Soil Hill!
Since my first Jack Snipe on the 24th September they have been regular, but today was the first day with more than one individual!
Helpfully its also the first day I dusted off the thermal! What a happy coincidence!
#SoilHillBirding #UKBirding
A delightful morning on Soil Hill counting Redwings, with 1866 flying SW in 3.5 hours!
Additionally, they were joined by my latest ever Swallow (six of them!) and a record count of 14 Cormorant!
#SoilHillBirding
Although lost in yesterdays Yellow-browed Warbler induced euphoria, I also added Great-spotted Woodpecker to my Soil Hill yearlist!
And thanks to this GSW I have now reached 100 species for Soil Hill in 2024!!!
Just the 4th time I have reached this milestone!
#SoilHillBirding #UKBirding
Well...
What a day...
Today a tiny piece of Siberia arrived in Pennine West Yorkshire!
It has long been a dream of mine to find a Yellow-browed Warbler here on Soil Hill, and today it actually happened!
What an incredible feeling! Enjoy your stay buddy!
#SoilHillBirding #UKBirding #UKBirds
💥FULL-FAT SOIL HILL TICK💥
💥NUMBER 127💥
💥GREAT EGRET💥
Still a rare bird in Halifax, but a target here for the past few years! Flying north this morning!
The highlight of a day featuring my 1st Marsh Harrier of the year, and a record 24 Snipe passing through!
#SoilHillBirding
