Tree Pruning Workshop at Dibbinsdale

Looking carefully before pruning the Bramley tree

planted by Alison McGovern MP and Stephen Ross in 2021.

We had an excellent training day on pruning fruit trees on 25th November, led by Katie Tonge of Heathfield Orchards. Katie talked us through the things to think about, then we went out for practical demonstrations and to try our own hand, in the walled garden at Dibbinsdale.

The tree before pruning (Katie Tonge in the baseball cap).

In the process the six apple trees we planted for Wirral Wildlife's 50th birthday in 2021 were given expert pruning to train their shape as they mature. Several members of the Friends of Dibbinsdale were left with guidance on what to do with the plum trees, come spring, and how to set about some of the older trees that have been neglected for the last few years through the pandemic.

"Yes, I really do mean take that much off"

If you have or are thinking about starting a community orchard, we can recommend booking a workshop with Katie to learn how to prune them to get a crop and to benefit wildlife. Thank you to Wirral Borough Council for use of the walled garden, Ste Smith, the Ranger, and the Friends of Dibbinsdale for hosting us.

Pete does the next cut.

Hilary Ash

Fungal Foray at Dibbinsdale

Fungal Briefing by John Ratcliffe

A third fungal foray was held by Wirral Wildlife at Dibbinsdale Local Nature Reserve. Prior to the foray a recognisance survey was undertaken by John Ratcliffe of North-West Fungal Group, and it was found to be a fungal desert as a result of the dry weather. John added “Our only hope is rain.” The Eventbrite attendees were emailed to warn them the host of fungi may not be as impressive or abundant as other years. Luckily for these fungal detectives it did rain, it rained so much that the path by Otter’s Tunnel under the railway was flooded and the planned route was altered. The autumn flowers of the fungi came out, though not very as abundant in numbers a respectable diversity of 52 species were recorded with 30 species not having been recorded on the previous fungal foray here.

Amethyst Deceiver

The gills/pores of a mushroom head give 20 times the area of the mushroom for spores' dispersal. It can be quite daunting with all those new names in English and Latin, but as the attendees went along, they started recognising the fungi that were seen early in the foray. Crib sheets of the previous year’s fungal records were provided to help recall the names.

One fungus found was the Beef Steak mushroom which when you pressed it oozed out red dye as you see in a steak. Also found was the attractive Amethyst Deceiver and a Blushing Bracket. Clive, another fungal expert, was full of anecdotes about each fungus. Cramp balls, so called as you put them down your breeches when on a long horse ride to prevent cramp. Birch Polypore can be dried and used as a razor strop, or the fresh elastic skin peeled into a strip could be used like a sticking plaster, with the inside being clean. John was pleased to see attendees were all interested. One of the attendees, Ben Hart, typed up a list of the species seen on the day in the evening, including the common and Latin names. John, our fungal leader, searched for the Horn of Plenty on the damp rock cutting on the banks of the river Dibbin but unfortunately, we did not find that this time. We will look for it during next autumn’s Fungal Foray.

Horn of Plenty

Your Views Wanted on Local Nature Recovery Strategy

A favourite Wirral view for many, looking over the Dee Estuary.
Photo: Tim Jokl, Flickr

How can we all encourage nature to recover in Wirral?

The first phase of public engagement for the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) for the Liverpool City Region has begun.

The LNRS is a new plan designed to support and improve nature and biodiversity in the Liverpool City Region (Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens & Wirral). It will use key evidence and the views of local people. The LNRS will act as a blueprint for protecting and enhancing nature, and will:

• Map our most important habitats
• Map opportunities for nature recovery
• List the priorities for reversing the decline in plant and animal species

In order to create this strategy, everyone can share their views on the nature, the places and the species that they value most.

A survey is live now and continuing until November 15th.

Please find the link to the survey here:
https://lcrlistens.liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk/engagement/local-nature-recovery-strategy

Apple Afternoon at New Ferry Butterfly Park

A tasty display of apple varieties next to our apple information board

Sunday 8th October was a warm October day - perfect weather for all things appley. Volunteers at New Ferry Butterfly Park organized an afternoon to celebrate locally grown apples. Thank you to everyone who visited.

John has been coming to Apple Days since he was about 4 years old!

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.

A selection of apples to take home

Many groups joined in the annual celebration and Wirral Wildlife began organising Apple Days. As far as I know the first Wirral Wildlife Apple Day was held on 19th October 1996 at Bob’s Orchard in Eastham.

Using the traditional wooden apple press to make juice

Later it moved to Brimstage Hall and then we added a second day at Eastham Country Park. In the last Apple Day before Covid (Wirral Wildlife’s 22nd Apple Day) we had 28 varieties of apples from orchards at Brimstage, Willaston and Upton Hall School. We also had enough apples to juice using our traditional wooden press. The Mersey Morris Men danced and the Tree Wardens sold apple goodies like pies and jam.

Checking the apple juicing equipment

This year we decided to reinstate a smaller version – an Apple Afternoon at New Ferry Butterfly Park. John Bateman collected apples and manned the apple press so that visitors could taste freshly pressed juice. We had 21 varieties of apples picked from Brimstage and Upton Hall School orchards plus two varieties from the NFBP committee chairman’s garden. What wonderful names these old varieties have – some dating back to the 17th century. Some varieties like Peasgood’s Nonsuch are named after the person who raised them. Others like Lord Lambourne are named after a person. Catshead is named because of its shape, Red Love for the colour of its skin and flesh and Bee Bench after the tradition of taking bee hives to orchards to pollinate the flowers. A full list of our varieties is given below.

The peeling machine in action

Our apple peeling machine is always popular – who can create the longest piece of unbroken peel? This year the longest was 266 cm. 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. Maybe someone will break this record next year.

Can you peel a whole apple without breaking the peel?

So watch our Event listings for 2024 and put the Apple afternoon onto your calendar.


Apple varieties on display:

Annie Elizabeth
Arthur Barnes
Ashmead’s Kernel
Bee bench
Bramley
Burr Knott
Catshead
Court Pendu Plat
Crawley Beauty
Egremont Russett
Golden Noble
Grenadier
James Grieve
Lord Derby
Lord Lambourne
Peasgood’s nonsuch
Phil’s cooker
Red Love
Redsleeves
Ribston Pippin
Withington Welter
Worcester Pearmain

Seasonal Booster from AstraZeneca

An AstraZeneca team of a dozen employees came to work their restorative magic on New Ferry Butterfly Park. They came from the Speke site, where seasonal influenza vaccines are produced. After short briefings from Penny Underwood (from Employee Volunteering) and Paul Loughnane (the Park’s secretary), the AstraZeneca team split into groups and busily got involved improving the park.

Three of these fit young people rapidly removed brambles from behind the Brick Pit Coppice, so it is now possible to access a large, coppiced ash stool to assess it for ash dieback.

Removing brambles from behind Brick Pit Coppice

Another three equally strong employees used root slaying spades to remove encroaching blackthorn from the grasslands surrounding the pond, whilst another four took up scythes and mowed the herb rich, aromatic smelling calcareous grassland. It was easier and more effective than they thought and proved enjoyable.

Getting rid of blackthorn in the grassland near the pond

Scything fun!

The scything team

The final pair of employees got down and dirty building a pond dipping platform. Yes, they became covered in clay as they smeared a layer of clay along the pond edges to protect the pond liner and built a dipping platform of breeze blocks topped off with paving stones, using a spirit level to ensure a true level.

Getting covered in clay while building a pond dipping platform!

Getting the clay to the right consistency

Making sure the paving stones are level

Following lunch Hilary Ash gave a tour of the site and expanded on the reasons for the projects carried out that day.

A lunchtime tour of the Butterfly Park

Following the tour, some took on lighter duties such as bringing in the trail posts and composting the dead plants left over from plant sales. The pond group continued to complete the task. At the end of the day the twenty empty buckets which contained the soaking clay, and the temporary safety cordon were all removed from around the pond. Four thousand litres of rainwater from the park’s water butts were released to fill the pond, no need to call the fire brigade to help fill it as on previous occasions. The pond area was transformed and with its clay surround looks much more natural than the previously exposed membrane. The pond will fill a little more throughout the winter season with the rainfall and the rainwater harvested from the tool container roof.

This corporate workday really gave a great boost to the Park as we were able to finish the long ongoing project of restoring the pond, and start tackling the more vigorous projects of removing the blackthorn and bramble. The pond has been much missed during this last season by our visitors, as the Park is one of the few places you can just turn up on summer Sundays and see what lives in the pond using a net. Thanks go to John Bateman, New Ferry Butterfly Park Treasurer and AstraZeneca employee, and Sarah Edgar of AstraZeneca, who were instrumental in organising this corporate workday, as well as our own experienced volunteers who led the various projects. AstraZeneca in addition to providing employees also kindly purchased the breeze blocks, sand and cement for the pond dipping platform project to progress. We hope to get another seasonal shot from the Speke AstraZeneca team next year.

Late Summer Activity at Cleaver Heath

The main heather panel at Cleaver Heath

During late August and early September two volunteer task days were organized at Cleaver Heath to deal with the annual problem of bracken re-growth within the upper heather panel. Bracken fronds were removed by stem pulling - rewarding work but laborious, especially in the recent very warm weather! After the main panel was cleared, we concentrated on clearing bracken and pruning overhanging trees along the edge of the Eastern woodland to allow more light to fall onto the nearby heather and encourage fresh growth.

The woodland edge after bracken pulling

While working we took the opportunity to look out for any interesting wildlife especially as the weather was warm and sunny.

Gall wasps had been busy during the year and young oaks along the woodland edge displayed a variety of galls.

Galls on oak trees.
Clockwise from top left:
Marble Gall, Artichoke Gall, Cola-nut Gall, Spangle Gall, Knopper Gall

The young oaks were also providing shelter and home to some spiders.

Lesser Garden spider (Metellina sp.)

The 'Sputnik spider' (Paidiscura pallens)
so-called because of the spiky shape of its eggsac
which is attached to the underside of an oak leaf

By far the most interesting 'find' during the day was the Heather Ladybird (Chilocorus bipustulatus).

Heather Ladybird (Chilocorus bipustulatus)

This very small ladybird was found on mature heather close to where we were working along the woodland edge. It is black and shiny with two or three red spots, sometimes fused, running in a line across the body. It is more likely to be found on mature heather on heathland as at Cleaver, but has been occasionally recorded on coastal dunes. It was recorded in the Wallasey sand dunes in 1991. Nationally it is classed as local and declining so we are very fortunate to have it with us! It feeds on aphids and scale insects and overwinters in litter at the base of heather and gorse.

Future work at Cleaver before the end of the year includes the regeneration project next month, birch cutting and stump treatment with Graham from Cheshire Wildlife Trust and coppicing within the managed scrub area. A lot to keep us busy.


John McGaw
Volunteer Warden, Cleaver Heath

End of Season Party at the Butterfly Park

On Sunday 10th September, to mark the last day of the 2023 opening season, the volunteers had an end of season party. There were two other celebrations that afternoon. First, the industrial history lectern by the brick pit was officially unveiled in honour of Frank Cottrell.

Unveiling of the industrial history lectern, dedicated to Frank Cottrell

Hilary Ash gave a short speech about the late Frank Cottrell’s contribution to wildlife locally and the Butterfly Park in particular.

Frank lived in Spital and worked at Unilever, after a short spell in the RAF - which left him with a military bearing and an impressive moustache.

Frank’s passion was butterflies, but there being no locally active branch of Butterfly Conservation, he became chair of Wirral Wildlife (1989 - 1998) and a trustee of Cheshire Wildlife Trust in 1992. He persuaded his fellow trustees that CWT should hold the Park's lease, opening up the way for the Park to start. Later he was a Sunday warden, with his friend Elaine Mills, retiring eventually at age 94! He gave a generous donation towards the new gates. Donations collected at Frank’s funeral were matched by Wirral Wildlife to enable the purchase of the lectern. It will help us display the history of the Park to visitors. The lectern is made of recycled plastic and aluminium, and we hope will last as long as Frank did - nearly 99 years.

Peter Miller, Paul Loughnane and Hilary Ash with the lectern

The lectern display was created by Peter Miller and reflects the industrial legacy which has given the park such biodiversity. Howard Gibson and Peter put the lectern in together.

Following this the party moved to the Park’s entrance for a second celebration.

Steve Lyus and Phil Putwain raising the Green Flag

The 2023/24 Green Flag was jointly raised by the former chair of the Park’s committee, Steve Lyus and the new chair Phil Putwain. This is the 11th consecutive year that the Park has achieved a Green Flag. In his report the Green Flag judge could not think of any improvements needed to the Park!

Steve Lyus became the Chair of the Park committee in 2013 and was instrumental in redefining our relationship with Cheshire Wildlife Trust. He maintained the insurance cover, regularly reviewed risk assessments, kept the information board up to date and was a logical head at the Park committee meetings. Steve is a keen gardener and was presented with an interesting plant, Hydrangea Preziosa, which bears bright pink flowers, which mature to red and eventually burgundy in autumn. Steve retired to the Wirral because of its acidic soils, so that he could grow Camellia and Azalea shrubs.

We welcome Phil Putwain to his role of Chair of New Ferry Butterfly Park committee.

Flag raising wasn’t the end of the afternoon’s celebrations. It was followed by a BBQ for 28 guests -  a great coming together of the estate, wardening and recording teams. The volunteers demonstrated their culinary skills by bringing dishes such as spinach pie and banana cake, to mention but two contributions. Despite the heavy rain, resilience was demonstrated, and the BBQ continued until 7.45pm when the light was starting to fade. There was a lot to catch up with!

BBQ in the rain!

There was also a display about Frank Cottrell’s contribution to Wirral Wildlife with photographs of him with his Frog Dip children's game at Ness Gardens, at Apple Days at Brimstage Hall orchard and at the Butterfly Park when he retired as a warden, aged 94. You are never too old to volunteer!

Mike Cottrell and Elaine Mills with the display about Frank, with Paul and Hilary

This opening season, there have been 18 open Sundays and 19 group visits, amounting to 2,138 visitors (and still counting). The volunteer event marked the end of the public opening season and the start of the winter workdays, which will be on the second Sunday of each month.

Paul Loughnane and Hilary Ash