Once again the TMR bridle track saved my sanity with 3 Spotted Flycatcher active in the grounds. Also 2 WW, 1 each Robin and Chaffinch present here. The moors en route produced just 2 Curlew, ditto Kestrel and the Gulls.
I met a guy here who was interested in birds and we had a brief chat. He told me he had just driven down to the reservoir house from the road on the Denholme side and had flushed a Jack Snipe from a pool! I kept my trap shut.
The stretch from there up to Fly Flatts was awful just a Kestrel and 7 Red Grouse.
FF reservoir (1255-1345 hrs) appeared to have almost as much mud as it did water. A NW'ly was blowing and birds were at a premium with nothing showing at the N end. I did manage 5 Tufted Duck out in the middle.
At the Boat House end I was pleasantly surprised to encounter a pr Barnacle Geese as it has been two years since I last got the species here. 3 Wheatear and similar Kestrel were seen along with a bunch of Meadow Pipit.
Crawling across the promenade at Ogden Res I managed to pick out 3 Herring Gull among the large LBBG crowd. A Jay was seen in flight here and Swallows had been seen thinly spread throughout the torture session.
