Small Blue

Ormsgill Slag Banks lie just north of Barrow-in-Furness at the edge of the Duddon Estuary. A waste mountain formed by the Barrow Hematite Steel Company (1859-1963) the area is now being loosely reclaimed for and by nature, although it remains an 'informal' site  with public access being customary rather than encouraged, not least due to the dangers posed by the towering, exposed cliffs of slag.

It has become a renowned spot for butterflies and in particular is one of a few spots on the Cumbrian coast that supports a significant colony of Small Blue, which I'd never seen.

The weather forecast had been poor but when my train pulled into Barrow the sun was shining so I headed straight for the slag banks, the route incidentally taking me past Barrow FC's Holker Street ground which is one I've yet to visit for a match.

Once through the railway bridge that acts as a portal to the site it feels a secluded spot even though so much industry is close at hand. Within a minute I'd seen my first Small Blue (main image) on it's food plant, Kidney Vetch. Over the next several hours there were scores more.

It's been a few weeks since I last recorded a new species for the year, but here I caught up quickly: Small Heath, Common Blue, Large Skipper, Wall and Dingy Skipper joined the annual list. Large and Small White, Orange-tip and Small Tortoiseshell were also on the wing and for the moths we had plenty of Burnet Companion, Mother Shipton, Cinnabar and Silver-Y.

Reaching the north end of the site I could see a way down to the beach and the lure of a slightly forlorn WWII pill box so I decided to head that way for a mile or so. This was enough for three more pill boxes, with the last at an even more severe angle than the first, and a rich supply of bricks to investigate for makers marks.

Returning to the slag I walked over the top on the seaward side and then along the estuary back into Barrow, with the Devonshire Dock Hall  dominating the skyline. Further exploration of the town I saved for the next day.

Butterfly Journal 2018

12. 01/06/18: Small Blue, Ormsgill Slag Banks, Barrow-in-Furness
13. 01/06/18: Small Heath, Ormsgill Slag Banks, Barrow-in-Furness
14. 01/06/18: Common Blue, Ormsgill Slag Banks, Barrow-in-Furness
15. 01/06/18: Large Skipper, Ormsgill Slag Banks, Barrow-in-Furness
16. 01/06/18: Wall, Ormsgill Slag Banks, Barrow-in-Furness
17. 01/06/18: Dingy Skipper, Ormsgill Slag Banks, Barrow-in-Furness