Greater Gwent Biodiversity Action Group Glamorgan Biodiversity Advisory Group G w e n t - G l a m o r g a n Recorders’ Newsletter Issue 10—Spring May 2014 Glow worms in Glamorgan Hello everyone and welcome to the Last summer I did a Glow worm survey at 3 2014 Spring edition of the Gwent – sites in Glamorgan (1. Oldcastle Down, 2. Glamorgan Recorders Newsletter. Ogmore Down, 3. Parc Slip Nature Re- This is my first time editing and I serve). I spent a month wandering around have really enjoyed putting it my sites (with my Dad) after dark, looking together. for glowing females. We managed to record 22 glowing females across the 3 sites. I In this edition we have updates from hope to carry out the survey every year to Andy Karran on the Local Wildlife get a better idea of the local Glow worm Sites – SE Wales Project , Rob Par- population. ry on Parc Slip Nature Reserve and Alice Rees on the GWT Watervole The Glow worm (Lampyris noctiluca) be- Male and Female Glow worms at Oldcastle Down, reintroduction at Magor Marsh. longs to a family of beetles known as South Wales © Rudi Bright Lampyridae. As the name suggests, Glow emerge usually in June and July and mate, As always we keep you up to date worms are able to emit light from their bod- lay eggs and then die. Glow worm larvae with our data and recording projects ies by means of a reaction between two feed on snails and slugs. Adults do not feed including Square of the Month and chemicals, luciferin and luciferase. The light and survive on energy reserves laid down SEWBReCORD. As this year is our is emitted from the tip of the underside of through the larval stage. Adult Glow worms 10th Anniversary we have a special the abdomen as a green glow. The adult live for a short period of approximately 14 extra Biodiversity-blitz planned. females use the light to attract males. The days. Once mated the female will cease larvae, eggs and adult males can also pro- Thank you to everyone that contrib- glowing and lay between 20 and 150 eggs duce a glow, but this is not as bright as the uted to the newsletter, I hope you under stones, logs or vegetation. females. enjoy reading it. Glow worms can be very difficult to find so The Glow worms life cycle consists of 4 your best chance of recording them are Libby Wilcox, SEWBReC main stages (1. The Egg, 2. The Larva, 3. during the glowing season. If you want to The Pupa, 4. The Adult). The eggs are laid Included in this issue: record Glow worms you should go out into in July/August and hatch in the autumn. The suitable habitat (unimproved grassland/ Glow worms in Glamorgan 1 larvae then feed and hibernate through the downland/canal towpaths/disused railway winter, they become active again in the SEWBReC News & events 2-4 lines etc) between mid-June and mid-July. spring, feeding and growing throughout the Newport Urban Bat Survey 5-6 They are best seen on moonless or over- year before hibernating again for their sec- cast nights between 10 and 11pm. You are Mary Gillham Data Project 6 ond winter. In their third year the larvae more likely to see one if you let your eyes Parc Slip Nature Reserve Update 7 become active in the spring and continue adjust to the dark so you can wander Exotic trees in the Gwent landscape 8 feeding to build up energy reserves before around without using a torch. If you want to pupation in the early summer, the adults will Local Wildlife Sites 9-10 know more have a look at my Youtube Watervoles at Magor Marsh 11-12 guide to Glow worms - Moths of Glamorgan 12 http://www.youtube.com/watch? Butterflies at Silent Valley 13 v=eDZ3nx7bUu4&feature=share&list=UUwg Monitoring of Great Black-backed Gulls 14-15 yaduvWuKjLkldP9TTBLw Brynna Woods Observations 16 If you manage to find any please report Botanical news in VC35 17-18 them to the UK Glow Worm Survey (http:// www.glowworms.org.uk/) as well as SEW- Glamorgan fungus group 19 BReC (or your own Local Records Centre). Volunteering at Parc Taf Bargoed 20 Good Luck! SEWBReC Biodiversity Blitz Days 21 Female Glow worm at Oldcastle Down © Rudi Rudi Bright (age 10) Other events 22 Bright Issue 10—Spring May 2014 SEWBReC News in Brief Launch of New Online Data Access SEWBReC) are able to login to perform Partnerships to help lobby Local Author- Tool (DAT) spatial and taxonomic queries with ac- ities to establish properly-funded agree- cess the complete data holdings of the ments with SEWBReC, as we believe SEWBReC is pleased to announce the four LRCs (subject to normal restrictions that many decisions are still not being launch of a new web portal - the Local on sensitive data). SEWBReC is cur- made in the light of the best available Records Centres Wales Data Access rently offering short trial DAT registra- biodiversity data. Please contact SEW- Tool (see: http://www.lrcwalesdat.org). tions to its local authority partners, with BReC to find out if there’s anything you This tool, developed by the Biodiversity a view to including full DAT access as a can do to help. Information Service for Powys and Brec- chargeable product within future Service on Beacons National Park (BIS), allows Level Agreements. Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and online access to the combined wildlife Welsh Government records held at the four Welsh Local We believe that the DAT provides a new Following a number of meetings with Records Centres (LRCs). and valuable method for the public and funding partners to readily access the NRW and Welsh Government staff (as There are two separate levels of ac- biodiversity information we hold. Future well as the Minister for Natural Re- cess: developments and enhancements are sources) last year, SEWBReC (along with the three other Welsh LRCs) are Public access: does not require a log- planned which will provide improved hoping to secure the continuation of the in and allows you to: functionality and speed, and which may eventually enable commercial searches interim funding arrangements that were Search for information on records to be commissioned, completed and in place with NRW last financial year. held, around a point on the map: This paid for via the DAT. Once this is in place we will then work search will provide a summary list of hard to ensure that longer-term funding species records held within that 1km Please feel free to use the DAT and let is committed, to enable us to provide a square. Any sensitive species records us know what you think. We will keep better range of products and services to will not be returned in summary list but you informed of future developments all parts of NRW and Welsh Govern- the number of sensitive species records and improvements via this newsletter, ment in the future. found will be shown. so watch this space! Financial Update See a distribution map for a species: SLA Update Despite the continued pressure on our This function brings together the spe- income streams from the public sector, cies databases from across the four Work is currently underway to renew we are happy to report record figures for LRCs in Wales to create a Wales-scale Service Level Agreements for the sales of services to the private sector! plot of species records or produce a 2014/15 financial year. As usual we will Our sales target for the 2013/14 finan- 10km square distribution map. Zooming hope to secure funding from all 12 Uni- cial year was greatly exceeded and we in produces a 1km square distribution tary Authorities, although the figure ended up generating of £65,000 of (although sensitive records will only could be rather lower, as two Local Au- sales. This enabled SEWBReC to break ever be shown at 10km square resolu- thorities were funding work by SEW- even during 2013/14 and stands us in tion). BReC through short-term funding streams last year, and there is no pro- good stead for yet another successful Partner access: registered users spect of extensions. In some areas we year in 2014/15. (initially from public sector bodies who will be approaching Local Biodiversity hold Service Level Agreements with Adam Rowe, SEWBReC SEWBReC Membership SEWBReC is run as a not-for-profit Has read SEWBReC’s Memorandum ing. Please consider joining and have company and is governed by a volun- and Articles of Association* and sup- your say in the future direction of SEW- tary Board of Directors which is drawn ports the aims of the company; BReC – we need your expertise and from its membership. By becoming a enthusiasm! Understands that as a Member of the member of SEWBReC you will be auto- Company they accept a liability not ex- * The membership form gives details of matically invited to attend our Annual ceeding £1 if the Company should be where to find the Memorandum and Articles General Meetings and you will be eligi- wound up. of Association via our website. If you don’t ble to stand for election to the Board of have access to the internet but are interested Directors. We are currently very keen to grow our in joining, please get in touch and we will membership and to this end we have send you a copy. Subject to Board approval, SEWBReC included a copy of our membership ap- membership is open to anybody who: plication form with this newsletter mail- Page 2 Issue 10—Spring May 2014 Square of the Month Project In March 2013, the team at SEWBReC The project has set ourselves and the local wildlife re- built a loyal follow- cording community a challenge: to fill ing over the past every 1km square in South East Wales 14 months, and with at least one species record.