THE Cotswold Line is featured in a new free guide to watching wildlife from the train window.

The picturesque countryside of the North Cotswolds and the Vale of Evesham is one of 10 routes selected by National Rail and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and Mammals Trust UK in Tracking Wild Britain, Watching wildlife by train, free from staffed railway stations and online.

The introduction to the booklet tells passengers: "While you are travelling by train and spotting wildlife you are also helping to conserve it. Rail routes can provide green corridors for wildlife, taking the train is environmentally friendly and reduces road congestion."

In the description of the Oxford-Worcester-Hereford route the booklet says from Oxford as you enter the countryside you may see large flocks of jackdaws, carrion crows and rooks.

The route continues into the most glorious countryside, cutting through the Cotswolds, where you may see red kites, some of which have come from Wales and west and some of which are the result of a recent and highly successful reintroduction to this part of England.

Otters are continuing their recovery from the west and have now colonised the River Avon, which the train crosses near Evesham, and other rivers in the area.

As the train continues its journey look out for the biggest crow, the raven.

The huge black bird is larger than a buzzard, also often seen, and is gradually spreading eastwards from secure positions in the west.

If you're lucky you may see their amazing display flight when they actually flip upside down.

Badgers, with their distinctive black and white faces, are particularly common in this this part of the world, so keep your eyes open, especially at dawn and dusk.