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Walk
1
Finnamores Lower Lake
Starting at the wooden bridge that links the shore to a long,
narrow island, this short, circular walk skirts the shore
of Finnamores Lake Lower passing between the lake and the
wetland immediately North of it.
Things
to look out for
The lime-rich surface soil surrounding Finnamores Lake Lower
was excavated during its construction. The fact that it consists
largely of lake marl makes it a difficult substrate for plants
to grow on particularly as it bakes hard during the summer.
However, plants such as Common centaury, Rough hawkbit and
both Red and White clover flourish. Stands of Reedmace, branched
bur-reed and Common club-rush line the water’s edge and
the wooden bridge provides a vantage point from which to observe
aquatic plants such as the stoneworts that grow in dense beds
on the lake floor, various Pondweeds, Water plantain and Arrowhead
whose white, three-petalled flowers can be seen in July and
August. While peering into the clear water you may spot the
large (upto approximately 6 cm), sharply pointed shells of
the Greater pond snail.
During the summer, Swallows, House martins and Sand martins
swoop over the lake whilst Wheatear and Common sandpiper may
be seen on the shore and in the surrounding grassland. During
the winter large numbers of Golden plover and Lapwing gather
in the wetlands and both Mute and Bewick ‘s swans visit
the lakes.
Look out
for the Black-tailed skimmer and Keeled skimmer, two dragonflies
considered to have a local distribution in Ireland, and the
many damselflies that can be seen near the lakeshore.
A closer look at the boulders near the wooden bridge and the
large, flat, limestone rock on the southern side of the lake
will reveal large numbers of fossil shells, corals and bryozoans.
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