The south east corner of Scotland is a land of rolling hills, scenic valleys, farmland and dramatic coast. Here, the River Tweed (the area's most important geographic feature) winds its way from the hills above Selkirk and Peebles to the North Sea. The Tweed is widely recognised as one of the world's foremost rivers for Atlantic salmon and also has Scotland's finest displays of water crowfoot. Each stage of the river offers its own wildlife gems. By Peebles it is mossy and popular with dippers. Downstream at Kelso it is reedy and favoured by many species of duck. At its mouth, by Berwick, it is slow moving and oneof the best places in Scotland to observe swans.

A short distance to the north of Berwick, fine seabird colonies are to be found on the coast at St Abb's Head, by Eyemouth. Species resident at this National Nature Reserve in summer include kittiwake, guillemot, razorbill and puffin. For the best views, follow the paths from the exhibition centre at Northfield Farm. Also look out for rare migrant insects (among them Camberwell beauty butterfly and death's head hawkmoth), as well as a number of more common butterflies that breed on the reserve.

Inland, the Hirsel Country Park offers some of the finest bridwatching opportunities in the south of Scotland, with 160 species having been recorded here. Hirsel Lake forms the centrepiece of the park and is surrounded by reed beds in which sedge warbler and reed bunting may be found. The lake plays host to moorhen, little grebe, heron, mute swan, shoveler, tufted duck and pochard in summer, with whooper swans and goosander arriving in winter. Water rails may also be seen at this time. The woodland adjacent to the lake is home to many species absent or rare throughout much of Scotland, such as marsh tit and hawfinch. Also resident are green and great spotted woodpecker, redstart, garden warbler and both pied and spotted flycatchers. A visitor centre within the park gives a good introduction to all the wildlife one may see here.