More awful weather!

This has definitely got to be the wettest winter I have ever experienced in all my long years! It rained again all morning at times quite heavily. Not to be daunted though, I still went out in search of my daily Year tick. Actually it was quite good because I found two! Firstly I had fantastic views of some Siskins. If you want to get very close views of these birds and you don't get any visiting your garden, and also if you live in the Exeter area of Devon then visit Haldon Forest Park. I arrived in the rain and was soon watching these smashing little birds. I think they have to be one of my favourite finches. Drive up the A38 Haldon Hill and at the top turn left then right, passing under the A38 again. Follow the road along past the Chudleigh turn and just after this junction, Haldon Forest Park is there on the left at Bullers Hill. Drive in, park up (it's a paying car park here) and walk up to the other side of the toilet block. Just the other side of the path are some feeders and these were visited by several Siskins today! Nuthatches and Coal Tits are easy to see here as well. Not only that but the rain actually stopped! The second species new for 2014 were seen near Kenton, just down the road from Haldon. I found a nice covey of 9 Red-legged Partridges in the corner of a large field. Plans to venture out again late afternoon were scuppered by yet more nasty rain.