Upper Coquetdale

In the hills today to the east of the Usway Burn in Upper Coquetdale, between the burn and the edge of the Kidland Forest.

Along the burn there was a male Stonechat, a Robin and a cruising Kestrel, with a solitary Buzzard high overhead.

Then in the hills to the north of Saughy Hill I put up single Woodcock and Snipe, while a noisy group of four Ravens were in a valley below me.

Botanically it was good to see the single large naturalised bush of Entire-leaved Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster integrifolius) in apparently good condition and with plenty of berries, on the bank of the burn.  Incidentally this species is also known in different books as Small-leaved Cotoneaster or Rock Cotoneaster which does emphasise the importance of using Latin names as well as English for less usual plants.

This image is taken from the www.british-wild-flowers.co.uk website, not from my camera!