I Love Arnside and Silverdale: Trowbarrow Old Lime Works Incline

Wednesday, 21 July 2010

Trowbarrow Old Lime Works Incline - July 21st 2010

Met up with my old mate Charlie (Payne) and decided at first to have a quick look over to Sandside, where earlier in the week I had found four specimens of the rare "Sand Leek" which where on the small rough pasture area straight across the road from the Shoreline Business Park. Sadly when we got there the flower was on its way out, yet still managed a photo (see photo).

Then on to the area accessed from Moss Lane, which leads from the Old Lime Works and up the incline which would eventually lead to Trowbarrow Quarry. Here we took the small pathway which goes up to the left of the old Lime Works. After a short distance we had five Broad Leaved Helliborines, but still a week or so from flower. But further up the pathway we went maybe some 100 yards further on and to the right, there was literally hundreds of spent Common Twayblade. I have never seen so many together, they seemed to be everywhere, but not just that, these must have been superb specimens, with some growing to almost one metre high with massive basal leaves.

Retreating back down the pathway and rejoining the main path, we turned left and headed up the incline, before long we found more Helliborines.

Part way up and just after some boulder rocks on the right hand side, there was two superb small open pasture areas which we felt would be ideally suited to butterflies, and we where soon proved not to be disappointed, we checked out the small area to the left, and there was lots of butterfly friends plants, but also we couldnt help but admire the "Tutsan" plants. The area on the right "was just right" when we got there with the sun breaking through, and lots of Meadow Browns all over, but to our suprise and delight we had a "White-Letter Hairstreak feeding on Thistle.. Also got some nice views of both Comma and Fritillary which seemed to be constantly "tussling" with one another (the Fritillary the aggressor).