Coshogle Wood
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Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Upland oak woodland | Favourable | — | 2005-03-31 |
Birds & fish recorded
Birds
| Species | Season |
|---|---|
| pied flycatcher | Breeding |
| redstart | Breeding |
| wood warbler | Breeding |
Description
COSHOGLE WOOD Coshogle Wood is located approximately 6km north of Carronbridge village and is notified for its acid-neutral, sessile oak dominated woodland, on steep valley sides and is one of the best examples in upper Nithsdale. Common cow-wheat Melampyrum pratense, great wood-rush Luzula sylvatica and blaeberry Vaccinium myrtillus are frequent in more acidic areas of the woodland. Ferns, such as lady-fern Athyrium filix-femina and male-fern Dryopteris filix-mas, are common on the steeper lower slopes where ash and hazel form a significant part of the canopy and understorey. Dog’s mercury Mercurialis perennis, woodruff Galium odoratum and wood melick Melica uniflora occur in the cleuchs and opposite-leaved golden saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium is typical of wet flushes. Additional interest is provided by a rich population of breeding birds including redstart, wood warbler and pied flycatcher, a diverse bryophyte flora and an invertebrate fauna that includes characteristic species of beetle Coleoptera and chalcid wasps Hymenoptera and notable species of sawfly Hymenoptera and spider Arachnida. These are not notified features.
Species mentioned
Show the 12 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pied flycatcher | Ficedula hypoleuca | VU (Breeding) | bird-robin | muscicapidae |
| redstart | Phoenicurus phoenicurus | LC (Breeding) | bird-robin | muscicapidae |
| wood warbler | Phylloscopus sibilatrix | VU (Breeding) | bird-warbler | phylloscopidae |
| lady-fern | Athyrium filix-femina | LC | fern | woodsiaceae |
| male fern | Dryopteris filix-mas | LC | fern | dryopteridaceae |
| wood melick | Melica uniflora | NT | grass | poaceae |
| opposite-leaved golden- saxifrage | Chrysosplenium oppositifolium | LC | herb | saxifragaceae |
| woodruff | Galium odoratum | LC | herb | rubiaceae |
| common cowwheat | Melampyrum pratense | VU | herb | orobanchaceae |
| dog's mercury | Mercurialis perennis | LC | herb | euphorbiaceae |
| great wood rush | Luzula sylvatica | LC | rush | juncaceae |
| billberry | Vaccinium myrtillus | LC | shrub | ericaceae |
Insects to look out for
These moths, butterflies and beetles are known to feed on plants recorded at this site, and carry a notable UK conservation status — but a host-plant being present doesn't mean the insect has actually been recorded here. Treat this as "worth watching for," not a confirmed sighting.
| Species | Status | Via host-plant |
|---|---|---|
| Speckled footman Coscinia cribraria |
Critically Endangered | Vaccinium myrtillus |
| Heath fritillary Melitaea athalia |
Endangered | Melampyrum pratense |
| Broom moth Ceramica pisi |
Vulnerable | Vaccinium myrtillus |
| Mottled umber Erannis defoliaria |
Vulnerable | Vaccinium myrtillus |
| Satyr pug Eupithecia satyrata |
Vulnerable | Galium spp. |
| Bedstraw hawk-moth Hyles gallii |
Vulnerable | Galium spp. |
| Early moth Theria primaria |
Vulnerable | Vaccinium myrtillus |
| Pale eggar Trichiura crataegi |
Vulnerable | Vaccinium myrtillus |
| Flounced chestnut Agrochola helvola |
Near Threatened | Vaccinium myrtillus |
| Beaded chestnut Agrochola lychnidis |
Near Threatened | Vaccinium myrtillus |
| Rosy marsh moth Coenophila subrosea |
Near Threatened | Vaccinium myrtillus |
| The Silurian Eriopygodes imbecilla |
Near Threatened | Vaccinium myrtillus |
| Autumnal rustic Eugnorisma glareosa |
Near Threatened | Galium spp. |
| Dark-barred twin-spot carpet Xanthorhoe ferrugata |
Near Threatened | Galium spp. |
| Scotch burnet Zygaena exulans |
Near Threatened | Vaccinium myrtillus |
Host-plant data: Cook et al. (2025), Traits data for the butterflies and macro-moths of Great Britain and Ireland, 2024, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology / Butterfly Conservation; and Padovani et al. (2020), Database of Insects and their Food Plants (DBIF), UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (both Open Government Licence). Contains data supplied by UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.