North West in Bloom Awards for Butterfly Park

The RHS run many schemes to encourage and acknowledge gardening in the widest sense. Wirral is in the area known as North West in Bloom (NWIB).

Last year Phil Putwain, chairman of New Ferry Butterfly Park, broached the idea of applying for an award as it is open to small, volunteer led community groups.

An initial visit from an RHS judge was made in January and we were encouraged to submit an application. This involved creating a portfolio with information about the three areas that would be assessed: community participation, environmental responsibility and gardening achievement.

Common blue butterfly at New Ferry Butterfly Park.
Photo: Roy Lowry

New Ferry Butterfly Park has always been run by volunteers and been involved with the local community. The initial idea came from Mel Roberts who lived in a house overlooking the site. Over a thousand people came to our Opening Day in May, we took 450 people on guided visits and had 1050 visitors on Sunday afternoons this year. In total we have counted 34,890 visitors in the last 21 years.

About 50 volunteers are actively involved in practical management, wardening and hosting groups. Volunteers also do outreach events to publicise the Butterfly Park, going to schools and other organised events and giving talks.

Environmental responsibility is a keystone of our nature reserve and, as well as maintaining varied habitats within the site, the plants and insects are well and regularly recorded. Butterfly transects are carried out to give a reliable record of species found and changes over time. Monthly photography of the site and wildlife provide a valuable record.

Mel's Garden - a demonstration garden growing pollinator plants

Gardening achievement has been interpreted based on our identity as a nature reserve. We have Mel’s Garden, our demonstration garden growing pollinator plants, and similar plants are sold on Sunday afternoons.

In July, Jason Lambert, an RHS Judge, came on a visit. Volunteers from different areas explained what they did and we gave him a comprehensive tour of the Butterfly Park. He admitted to being very impressed by what he saw and told us that assessment of entries would take place in July and August. We wouldn’t know the outcome of this until the Awards Ceremony in October.

On October 30th three volunteers set off to the venue at Bolton Wanderers FC stadium to await the results.

There are 5 levels of award, one to five. Imagine our delight when, on our first time of entering, the Butterfly Park won a Level 5 - Outstanding award.  However, that wasn’t all. We were presented with a certificate and trophy as winner of the NWIB Gardening for Wildlife (Biodiversity) award. What an accolade for New Ferry Butterfly Park!

New Ferry Butterfly Park's Outstanding award!

Our certificate for the NWIB Gardening for Wildlife (Biodiversity) award

The NWIB Gardening for Wildlife (Biodiversity) trophy

All our volunteers deserve the greatest congratulations for their continued support of the Butterfly Park. The awards are testament to everyone's dedication. 

What a great end to this year's opening season!

Linda Higginbottom
Volunteer Co-ordinator

Butterfly Transects at New Ferry Butterfly Park - 2024

Small tortoiseshell

September marks the end of the butterfly transect recording season by UKBMS (UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme). Generally, a transect is a site of butterfly habitat, and a method to monitor the changes of butterfly abundance and variety over the years. The data from each transect is incorporated into the national database, evidencing how well each butterfly species is faring in terms of number and distribution. This in turn informs conservation strategies.

Comma

This year at NFBP (New Ferry Butterfly Park) transect, we recorded 20 butterfly species and 553 individuals. Delightfully, Brimstone (53), Small White (123), Speckled Wood (100), Large White (45) and Orange Tip (23) were doing well and scored higher than last year. We were very pleased to see some species absent in the Park in the past turned up this year: Small Tortoiseshell (5), Painted Lady (1) and the rarity Ringlet (2). Dingy Skipper (2) was still hanging on in small numbers. Sadly, Holly Blue (11), Common Blue (18), Comma (19) and Gatekeeper (19) scored lower than last year, and no Small Coppers at all throughout the season.

Dingy skipper

As transect recorders we carry out weekly walks for 26 weeks between April and September. Following a pre-determined route and walking at a steady and slow pace, we scan the area and record the butterflies we see.

Brimstone

Butterflies use sunlight to warm up their flying muscles. Therefore, transect walks need to be done during daytime between 10.45am and 3.45pm and under suitable weather conditions to maximising the sighting of butterflies. Recording is avoided if it is raining, too cloudy, too cold, and too windy. When the weather become more unpredictable (like this year), a recorder needs to check the weather forecast and grab the first suitable opportunity to do the job. 

Common blue

Needless to say, identification skills are crucial to accurately record each butterfly species. This can be challenging and frustrating, particularly when butterflies are in flight. Having a butterfly guidebook can help to recognise different species, and understand their habitats, flight times, and behaviours. Field trips with an expert is an excellent way to learn. Fortunately, during our “formative” years in butterflies, we had the support from Kathryn Fegan and Dave Costello (Butterfly Conservation Society) at Hoylake Willows transect in 2023, and Pat Thurston at NFBP in 2024. We are ever grateful for their help. Next year, we will carry on the transect walks together - two pairs of eyes are better than one!

Small white

Learning butterflies (or any other wildlife species) gets people closer to nature and can be very rewarding.  At NFBP, butterfly ID sheets are available for visitors, and wardens are there to help whenever they can. We look forward to meeting more butterfly enthusiasts in the new season!

Ringlet

Blog article: Yan and Charles

Photos: Roy Lowry

Tree Planting In Memory of Eric Greenwood

On Monday October 14th, a Bird Cherry tree (Prunus padus ‘Watereri’) was planted at Burton Manor in memory of Eric Greenwood, who died in 2022.

Peter Cunnington of Burton Manor lowering the tree into the ground

Barbara, Eric's wife and fellow botanist, planting the tree

This event was organized by the Liverpool Botanical Society which he had been a member of since 1966.

Members of Liverpool Botanical Society and Wirral Wildlife

A botanist by training, Eric joined the staff of the City of Liverpool Museum in 1966 where he worked until his retirement.

Eric was also involved in local natural history, record centres and conservation organisations (53 years involvement with Lancashire Wildlife Trust for example). Many other scientific and museum organisations also benefited from his expertise. His book ‘Flora of North Lancashire’ was published in 2012 and was the culmination of over 40 years field work.

Barbara attaching a stake for the tree

Eric was a regular attender at Wirral Wildlife events and our ‘go to’ botanist to identify a particularly tricky sedge, grass or orchid.

Wirral was Eric’s adopted home even if his botanical heart was in Lancashire. He loved walking the local field and estuary paths finding new plants as he went, so this tree placed in an area he knew well is a fitting tribute.

Eric with Barbara in their garden in 2022 when he was presented with the

President’s Medal of the Royal Society of Biology

The Bird Cherry tree planted in Eric's memory

Amazing Apple Afternoon at the Butterfly Park

Sunday 13th October was a warm October day - perfect weather for the second New Ferry Butterfly Park Apple Afternoon to celebrate locally grown apples.

Even more people came this year - thank you to everyone who visited and our volunteers who make it possible to hold such an event.

The first Apple Day was organised on 21st October 1990 by Common Ground to celebrate apples and orchards. Many traditional orchards were being dug up and the country became reliant on imported apples despite about 3,000 apple varieties having been grown in the UK. The aim was to bring the wide variety of local apples to the attention of the public.

At our event, John Bateman collected apples and manned the apple press so that visitors could taste freshly pressed juice. Many people took some juice away with them.

Mincing up the apples ready for juicing

John Bateman supervising the juice making

We had 28 varieties of apples picked from orchards at Brimstage, Upton Hall School and Ness Gardens. plus varieties from some of our volunteer’s gardens. What wonderful names these old varieties have - some dating back to the 17th century. Some like Lord Derby and Millicent Barnes are named after people. Catshead is named because of its shape. Red Love for the colour of its skin and flesh. A full list of the varieties we had for display and tasting is given below.

Local apple varieties on display at the Butterfly Park

Our apple peeling machine is always popular - who can create the longest piece of unbroken peel? This year the longest was 205cm. Common Ground used to run a national competition and one year someone from our Apple Day won the under 16 competition with a piece 269 cm long. No one has beaten this yet. Maybe at our 2025 Apple Afternoon?

Can you peel a whole apple without breaking the peel?

Wirral Wildlife has been holding Apple Days for many years and one little boy has always come to join in.

John, a fan of Wirral Wildlife's Apple Days,
taken at Eastham Country Park in 2016.

Over the years John has grown taller, although I have only grown older!

John at this year's Apple Afternoon!

Linda Higginbottom

New Ferry Butterfly Park Volunteer Coordinator

Apples on display:

Annie Elizabeth

Arthur Barnes

Blenheim Orange

Bramley

Catshead

Chiver’s Delight

Cox’s Orange Pippin

Crawley Beauty

Eccleston Pippin

Egremont Russett

Ellinson’s Orange

Fiesta

Golden Noble

Greensleeves

James Grieve

Jupiter

Lord Derby

Lord Lambourne

Malus Royalty

Millicent Barnes

Red Falstaff

Ribston Pippin

Peasgood’s Nonsuch

Red Love

Spartan

St Edmund’s Pippin

Tydesley Late

Withington Welter

Grayling Butterfly Conservation in the North Wirral Coastal Park

Grayling butterfly. Photo: Patrick Clement

During August, the North Wirral Coastal Park Rangers and Friends Group volunteers met up with Dave Costello, the Wirral Officer for Butterfly Conservation, to discuss habitat management for the Grayling butterfly in the Leasowe Gunsite dunes.

Dave informed us that until 2 years ago, Grayling were present on two sites in Wirral/Cheshire, namely the Gunsite dunes and Red Rocks in Hoylake. They have not been recorded at Red Rocks for 2 years and are therefore considered to be extinct at this site. This means that the Gunsite dunes is now the only site where this area's rarest breeding butterfly can be found.

Habitat management for other rare invertebrates in the Gunsite dunes such as the Spring mining bee (Colletes cunicularius) has been a key concern for Rangers and volunteers over many years with tasks such as invasive scrub control, mainly elm and poplar, and sand trapping to encourage dune formation being regular activities. One major problem within this dune system is that there is very little naturally wind blown sand from the beach available to replenish the dunes due to the presence of concrete sea defences. This has led to the formation of blow outs, over stabilisation of dunes by excessive vegetation growth and a significant reduction in bare open sandy areas.

New dune formed from imported sand

In the last few years the situation has much improved since the Rangers organised the regular import of many hundreds of tons of wind blown beach sand from further along the coast at Derby Pool where it needed to be cleared as it was blocking vehicle and pedestrian access. Since this activity, which is still ongoing, we now have significantly more open, mobile sandy areas which have formed across the frontal dune areas as the new sand gets blown inland by strong onshore winds with new small hummock dunes continually forming as some of the sand gets trapped by lyme and marram grasses.

Volunteers creating bare sand areas on over vegetated south facing dune

This dune management approach using imported sand has provided to be an essential habitat requirement for the Grayling butterfly, namely the provision of plenty of open bare sand for basking in the sun, together with more sheltered sunny spots with sparse vegetation such as species of fine grasses necessary as larval food plants.

Imported sand spreading into dunes

Dave advised that the adult Grayling's preferred nectar source is Sea Holly which has a fairly sparse distribution within the Gunsite dunes. We are currently in contact with Chester Zoo to see whether they can propagate plants for us from collected seed, to plant in the dunes. We worked with the nursery team at the Zoo several years ago on a similar type of project to extend the rare Isle of Man Cabbage distribution within the Gunsite dunes. The Zoo has already carried out a similar exercise growing Sea Holly at Red Rocks two years ago to replenish the plant's population in the dunes there.

Sea holly

The Rangers and Friends Group volunteers with input from Dave Costello and the local Butterfly Conservation team will continue to carry out a range of habitat management tasks that will hopefully  be of benefit for the survival of not only the Grayling butterfly but also other dune invertebrates. These will include invasive scrub control, creating more open sandy sites especially within warm south-facing dune areas which have become over vegetated, and removing dense areas of coarse grasses from around existing sea holly plants to encourage better wind blown seed dispersal across the dunes.

John McGaw
(Friends of North Wirral Coastal Park)

Taylor Swift Butterfly Lands at New Ferry Butterfly Park

New Ferry Butterfly Park's latest art installation was last seen in Liverpool’s Albert Dock when it was created as part of a Taylor Town trail to coincide with the Taylor Swift concerts. It landed at the Butterfly Park in September and is a symbol of transformation and beauty.

The first set of wings were unloaded...

and placed in front of the container artwork.

The second half of the installation was soon in place.

The two halves needed joining together by Kirsten Little from Make CIC.

The completed installation!

The weather on the last opening afternoon of the season could not have been more different to the day the installation first appeared. A steady downpour deterred a lot of people but some bravely came to have their photographs taken standing in front of the installation.

That afternoon we were pleased to welcome Justin Madders (second from the right in photo below). He is MP for Ellesmere Port & Bromborough and his constituency includes New Ferry. Volunteers from the Butterfly Park, Friends of Dibbinsdale and Friends of Lowfields Wood spoke to him about local environmental concerns.

Justin Madders, MP for Ellesmere Port & Bromborough, visits the Butterfly Park

The Butterfly will be hibernating over the winter but we hope to welcome it back for our Open Day on Sunday May 4th, 2025.

‘Liverpool Loves Taylor’ art installations

Make CIC was commissioned by Liverpool City Council to curate the ‘Liverpool Loves Taylor’ project, commissioning eleven artworks across the city, working with twelve local makers to create a vibrant trail to celebrate the arrival of American singer Taylor Swift in Liverpool in June. The Taylor Town Trail was the centrepiece with 11 art installations, each inspired by a different Taylor Swift Era.

The butterfly was created by Simon Armstrong, Design Laser Play, and this stunning installation is now touring as part of Wirral's Borough of Culture programme.

Make CIC is a purpose-driven social enterprise with several vibrant spaces across the Liverpool City Region. They unite and enrich communities through creativity, art and culture.

Make guarantee that the work is done locally, supporting Liverpool’s City Region’s economy and grassroots network of artists, makers and designers. Keeping work local also reduces CO₂ emissions and the impact of transport. Make reuses and recycles materials, including from other regional suppliers. helping to give things a 'second life'.

Spring/ Summer 2024 Prize Quiz: Winner and Answers

Snow bunting, the answer to clue 2.
Photo: Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren, Wikimedia Commons

Very many thanks to everyone who entered the spring/ summer quiz on the theme of amber listed birds. Your support is very much appreciated.

We received a total of 143 entries, of which 58 were all correct. We had a random draw to select the winner, who is Pam Kellett, of Birdwell, Barnsley. Congratulations Pam!

The answers to the clues are listed below, followed by some notes about the ones that seemed to cause the most difficulty.

1. Baseball player after bivalve mollusc. (13). OYSTERCATCHER

2. Owns tangled string of little flags. (4, 7). SNOW BUNTING   

3. Actor (“They don’t like it up ‘em!”) – only Clive knows the beginnings. (7). DUNNOCK 

4. Late change in this clue. (4). TEAL

5. This one may be found in the Isle of Wight, I’m assured. Shanklin, Ventnor and Cowes are places to look apparently. (8). REDSHANK

6. Lab grew reeds to accommodate this one. (5, 7). SEDGE WARBLER

7. London borough put to good use, without German pronoun. (5, 5). BRENT GOOSE

8. I’m glad law has been changed. (7). GADWALL

9. Document from the pope with a little Swiss currency and a short distance. (9). BULLFINCH

10. With amazing luck, she’d find one of these! (8). SHELDUCK

11. Othello, perhaps, with an egg producer. (7). MOORHEN

12. Roughly push relative backwards. (8). SHOVELER

13. This one I hear would rhyme with 27. (4, 6). WOOD PIGEON

14. Among auks, the plumage of the Razorbill is darkest, relative to the other species. (7). KESTREL

15. Yellow Submarine, Mama Mia, or Blue Suede Shoes, say, with a fungal infection of the mouth! (4, 6). SONG THRUSH

16. Strange thing on pickle container. (8). NIGHTJAR

17. Stuart queen, surrounded by gin and tonic. (6). GANNET

18. It sounds as though this one is especially fond of the fruit of the vine. (4, 6). GREY PLOVER

19. www.3ls.ioer.bar – hack it! (6, 7). WILLOW WARBLER

20. Wood-smoothing tool for Heather. (10). SANDERLING

21. Strangely breeding until the Italian departed. (4, 7). REED BUNTING

22. Whose rare old tango danced for this one? (5-5, 3). SHORT-EARED OWL

23. Listen! Is that George Bush’s vice-president? (5). QUAIL

24. Twenty fl.oz. of French garlic. (7). PINTAIL

25. Let colour begin! (8). REDSTART

26. The parson at Robin’s funeral. (4). ROOK

27. One of the Big Six power companies, wearing judge’s headgear. (6). WIGEON

28. Smaller dupe that Cluedo victim bet on. (6, 5-6, 4). LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL 

29. You French, with the King’s fleet, begin seeing trouble over Northern Europe. (9). TURNSTONE

30. Who was prone to convulsions? (7, 4). WHOOPER SWAN

31. This one confused Ange Gray. (8). GARGANEY

32. Has this seabird come all the way from Corsica or Sicily, say? (13, 4). MEDITERRANEAN GULL

33. We absorb popular song – all time leaders follow thro’. (11). WHITETHROAT

34. This one sank its teeth into a seabird. (7). BITTERN

35. Sheffield Wednesday fan followed Devonshire river to New York. (5, 3). TAWNY OWL

36. Female member of the armed forces before 1993. (4). WREN

37. This one will wriggle at ya! (4, 7). GREY WAGTAIL

38. This one would be a rough or vicious bride according to Spooner. (5, 7). MARSH HARRIER 

39. Just what is needed for eating houmous! (6). DIPPER

40. Pay Dick Fletcher, scramble, and lose kilo! (4, 10). PIED FLYCATCHER

41. “Come on, turn!” he shouted. (6, 4). COMMON TERN

42. Stephanie, 3rd in the 2023 Women’s PGA. Did she defeat someone on the last hole? (6, 5). MEADOW PIPIT

43. To identify this one, start with a voice one can easily tell. (6). AVOCET

44. Starting price for missile, and one who advocates an aggressive strategy. (11). SPARROWHAWK

45. A taste of liquor in Kent or Sussex. (5). SNIPE

46. Down on the bed, keeping you warm. (5). EIDER

47. Between lock and barrel, American plunged. (5, 4). STOCK DOVE

48. Tie up. (4). KNOT

49. Thermal energy in Sunderland’s river. (8). WHEATEAR

50. Liverpool footballer with number 11 or 15 of rugby union team. (7). REDWING

Notes

5. REDSHANK – Hidden in the sentences (- assuRED. SHANKlin,-).

9. BULLFINCH – A document from the pope is a “papal bull”.

10. SHELDUCK – an anagram, but a surprising number of people spelt it with two Ls. Oddly it was all the ducks that a lot of people spelt wrongly: 8 GADWALL, 12 SHOVELER, 24 PINTAIL, 27 WIGEON, and 31 GARGANEY.

13. WOOD PIGEON – Someone pointed out that in the published Amber List, this is just one word, Woodpigeon. We simply hadn’t noticed that!  Fortunately it hasn’t caused anyone a problem – all entrants got this one right.

14. KESTREL – hidden in the sentence. The reference to auks and razorbills confused a number of entrants!

18. GREY PLOVER – (Grape lover!) Some people put Wine thrush. This is apparently a dialect name for the Redwing, but it is not well known. The judges didn’t allow it.

19. WILLOW WARBLER – an anagram of WWWLLLIOERBAR.

28. LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL – there were a number of variations, none of which was accepted (Little and Great instead of Lesser; Black-headed instead of Black-backed.)

30. WHOOPER SWAN – some didn’t spot the anagram; others couldn't spell “Whooper” correctly.

32. MEDITERRANEAN GULL – perhaps not surprisingly, a lot of people struggled to spell this one.

33. WHITETHROAT – a lot of people put Nightingale, which doesn’t fit the clue and is a red-listed bird.

38. MARSH HARRIER – spoonerism is “harsh marryer”. We liked House Sparrow (“spouse harrow”), but this bird is red-listed.

41. COMMON TERN – just say it out loud!

43. AVOCET – initial letters of “A Voice One Can Easily Tell”.

50. REDWING – several people put Ruddock. That covers the Liverpool footballer, but Ruddock is another name for Robin, which is green-listed.