Soil Hill

 Absolutely amazing scenes on Soil Hill this morning! My most wanted dream bird for the site!

It was a slow morning of VizMig over Soil Hill today, with just a few Meadow Pipits and Woodpigeons heading south from first light. At 08:05 I thought I heard the call of a Yellow-browed Warbler in the North Slope Tree-Line about 20 metres away from my watchpoint, but a search found nothing. However, about 15 minutes later I heard it again and this time the source of the call flew out of the bushes being hotly pursued by a Chiffchaff. I followed it to where it landed and set off to get a closer look, now certain that it was a Yellow-browed Warbler. Helpfully it flew back out of the scrub it had landed in and returned to the North Slope Tree-Line, and I was able to grab some poor flight shots which confirmed my suspicions!

YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER!

My 128^th species on Soil Hill!

Over the next two hours the bird showed on and off in the willows and hawthorns at the bottom of the North Slope Tree-Line, sometimes well but usually at the back of the trees where viewing was more difficult. Strangely it only ever called when it was receiving grief from the Chiffchaffs that were present, only on one occasion calling of its own accord. This made it difficult to track, as did its apparent decision to keep to itself, not associating with the small tit flock that was in the area.

An absolutely brilliant bird, incredible to think that this little piece of Siberia has ended up here in Pennine West Yorkshire!

Also of note, I had my first Great-spotted Woodpecker for the year on Soil Hill as well, which is my 100^th species on Soil Hill in 2024! 

-Yellow-browed Warbler

In total managed 40 species today, the full list here; https://ebird.org/checklist/S196856766

Trektellen count here; https://www.trektellen.org/count/view/767/20240929