I spent my morning enjoying the last of the Pennine Twite, whilst I still can... Three individuals showing well this morning, outnumbered 4-1 by Linnets!

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

Earlier this year, we enjoyed a fantastic 2 weeks exploring the Western Ghats of Southern India, a region full of endemic birds! For those interested, I have compiled our experiences in a trip report, now free to gander on Cloudbirders! cloudbirders.com/be4/download?f…

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

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

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

Incredibly, there were only two Dunlin reported in Halifax in 2024! TWO! In the whole year! Fortunately, 2025 has been a fantastic return to form, and it was delightful to spend my morning on the moors being serenaded by at least three singing individuals!

The arrival of wet and windy weather brought an apparent 'fall' of Sanderling, with two on Blackstone Edge Reservoir and three at Whiteholme Reservoir! Also, a patch tick of Grey Squirrel at Whiteholme, though it's baffling how and why it found itself this far onto the moors!

A substantial breeze made for challenging conditions whilst checking the reservoirs this morning! The two Sanderlings were still on Blackstone Edge, along with a small group of very randy Dunlin, filling the air with their buzzy songs! Like a scene from Spurn beach!

The Blackstone Edge Reservoir wader bonanza continues for another day! Nothing unusual, but 13 Ringed Plovers and 6 Dunlin certainly kept me entertained! The Dunlins also continue to be in fine voice, serenading me with their buzzy songs!

It was foggy, rainy and windy at Blackstone Edge this morning! Almost unbirdable! Fortunately on the near mud it was just possible to make out a new Sanderling scurrying about among the Dunlin, making it all worthwhile! And then I fled to more sheltered conditions!

Another glorious day at Blackstone Edge Reservoir upon Humber... An incredible flock of 15 (FIFTEEN!!!) Sanderlings were enjoying the ample muddy shoreline today, showing very well at times! Inland birding can be hard work at times, but sometimes it's absolutely fantastic!

💥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

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

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

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

TAPACULO NUMBER 44!!! SCYTALOPUS NUMBER 35!!! After a years hiatus, I finally returned to my quest of seeing all the Tapaculos! The latest? The Ampay Tapaculo, which decided to show phenomenally well in the Andes of southern Peru! One of my best encounters yet!

TAPACULO NUMBER 45!!! SCYTALOPUS NUMBER 36!!! Following swiftly on from the last, Vilcabamba Tapaculo is the latest addition to my Tapaculo total! And another rather showy individual as well, displaying its glorious grey and brown plumage!

Had a fantastic morning searching for and then ticking off Inca Wren! And at the same place also saw one of the wonders of the world! Absolutely amazing place! 10/10 would recommend to a friend!