The nocturnal pollinators return
TIME to put the bins out - the routine task that marks the turning of another week on a planet that seems to speed up day by day... Only now with the nights drawing in, I am rarely alone as I trundle out towards the pavement - moths flicker about caught in the glare of the outside light.
These superb creatures have been with us since the spring of course, with different species emerging at different times of the year, but they always seem to be particularly active as autumn comes in.
Migrant species including Angles Shades and Silver Y love late flowering buddleia, but keep an eye out for the small, but striking Hummingbird Hawk-moth which darts around geraniums and other blooms on grey and orange wings which contrast with black and white markings on its body.
This distinctive moth drinks down nectar with a long tongue like a tiny Hummingbird.
Moths are as important a pollinator as bees, hoverflies and butterflies, and we are lucky to have a staggering variety of species in Sefton, with well over 1,000 different types recorded here, some eye-wateringly rare.
As is often the way, the dunes have species adapted to a sandy world where vegetation is sparse.
These specialised creatures are largely unseen by visitors as camouflage and nocturnal habits protect them, but they show up when I use a light trap occasionally -they are attracted to the bright bulb to roost in the trap and are safely released the next day.
Many share wing patterns of white, buff and brown, perfectly reflecting the frontal dunes they call home.
Shore Wainscot, Map-winged Swift and Lyme Grass repay close examination before release - they are as beautiful as any butterfly and a reminder that just because we cannot always see the wildlife of the dunes system it does not mean it is not there, and habitats must be treated with respect.
Perhaps our strangest moth of all is a real Sefton Coast speciality - the Sandhill Rustic can be found only where the habitat is just right, in embryo dunes that have Sand Couch Grass growing on them.
This plant is vital for the elusive and strictly nocturnal Sandhill Rustic, which has a quite remarkable lifestyle.
The caterpillars spend the winter months beneath the sand, feeding on the roots of the couch grass and other favoured species, but the adults only emerge on select nights when conditions are ideal at the end of August and beginning of September.
The flight period is barely a month long, and females tend to stay put rather than taking to the wing, waiting for males to find them in their limited habitats.
Studies elsewhere suggest the moth rarely ventures far from the areas they emerge in.
Such an arcane lifestyle - its whole universe relying on tiny patches of habitat that can be easily damaged by visitors unaware of the treasures beneath their feet... It is probably one of the hardest species to connect with on the Sefton Coast - you have to be in the right place at the right time in the right weather on the right night! And you thought Sand Lizards can be tough to see!
John works for Green Sefton, the Sefton Council service that brings together the coast & countryside, parks & green spaces, flooding & coastal erosion, risk management and grounds maintenance teams for a joined-up approach to the vital management, development and oversight of Sefton’s beautiful coastline, parks and green spaces. This column looks at the flora, fauna and history of the coastline, and the work carried out to protect it.