Sun Lane LNR
Burley in Wharfedale
Bradford Council
Site Details
Recorders: Janet Kirikaides, Nyree Fernley (Established in 2003 restarted in 2021 afer 6 year gap ) Distance : 870m Walk time: 40mins
12 acres in size this is a reclaimed domestic tip which required clearing in 1993 to deal with pollution. It is now owned by Bradford Council and maintained by volunteers. Re sown and restored it has a rich variety of sometimes unusual and imported plants and a wide variety of butterflies and a healthy population of Rabbit keep the grass in check. A pebble-filled gully runs across the reserve, and plants like Red Campion, Purple Loosestrife, pink and white Musk Mallow, Yellow Evening Primrose, Viper’s Bugloss with Rosebay Willow herb along the field edge. Geraniums are common with blue Meadow Crane’s-bill, pink flowers of Herb Robert and Shining Crane’s-bill, a tiny Cut-leaved geranium
Sections:
S1 follows the main track westwards and is an annually cut meadow and sees a wide variety of species . This area with planted shrubs is favoured by Holy Blue, Orange Tip.
At S2 we enter a sunken sheltered flower rich gulley by the side of the railway and attracts larger numbers.
S3 with more shade brings more Speckled Woods, Ringlet and with more flower particularly Marjoram which attracts particularly the Vanessids
S4 follows the north edge of the meadow area with woodland to the north, dipping down towards the pond and is a favourtite with Peacock and Brimstone.
S5 is very shady with the lowest counts skirting the pond and under the tree canopy
S6 we join teh road back, skirted by large trees but more open back to the entrance alongside the stream and is dominated by Speckled Wood. Several large Wych Elms grow the hedgerow
2022 Results:
This sites transect was restarted in 2021 teh first since 2015 It had a good record of previous years see below.
For trending calculations we look only look at the 2021-22 season. 2022 was well up on teh previous year. While both golden Skippers were down and Whites up and some improvements in the Blues family most significantly with Holly blue booming. Small Torts and Peacock were well down as throughout the county with the heatwave while in contrast Comma boomed.. well over doubling. Gatekeeper has become extinct these last two years which seems odd
Some tentative graph have been drawn showing the longer term trends NB but without the missed years
