When I got up on a sunny Thursday morning to go on a survey I had no idea I would be spending the day half way up a cliff beating gorse bushes with a stick. However I am quickly learning that working in conservation requires doing things that are more than a bit wacky to the uninitiated.
We certainly attracted some odd looks from people passing by on the coastal path but, as usual, there was a method to the madness.
The reason myself and my colleagues were out attacking the shrubbery was in search of a rare species of moth called the Silky Wave, which is only found at three sites in the UK; Avon Gorge (Bristol), the Great Orme (Conwy) and here on the Gower Peninsula (Swansea).
It’s an unassuming little beastie, with cream and tan wave patterns on the wings and a silky sheen, hence the name. As a night flying moth it shelters in the day in scrub and can be startled into flying to a new perch if disturbed… by, say, a trainee conservation officer with a big stick. Not the most high-tech of survey methods but effective.
The moths tend to prefer limestone cliffs and downs with rocky outcrops and plenty of Common rock rose which is the primary food source for the caterpillars. These hatch in August and overwinter part-grown before re-emerging in spring and pupating to their adult form in June. Adults are only on the wing for a couple of months, breeding and laying a single brood of eggs.
The moth’s preference for warm slopes and cliffs meant some precarious clamouring for me, clinging onto rock ledges to poke at some of the higher bushes.
As we all know gorse has a tendency to fight back, its big pointy thorns leaving us with welts and scratches. My colleague who had worn shorts eventually had to tap out to go and soak his legs in a rockpool in the hope of soothing them, the local shrimp population were very intrigued!
And so ends my first foray into moth surveying with many a Silky Wave bothered and another conservation expedition under my belt. Being a Natur am Byth! trainee has been fantastic so far, I’ve had the opportunity to visit sites across Wales and have learnt a huge amount already. Looking forward to the next adventure!