New Ferry Butterfly Park Annual Report 2026

The transect route at New Ferry Butterfly Park is 783 metres long with 8 sections. It goes through a variety of habitats, including wooded areas, grassland/meadows, and scrub, featuring both food plants for caterpillars and nectar plants for adult butterflies, moths, and other insects.

In 2026, we recorded 1,099 individual butterflies across 21 species. This is a similar result to 2025, showing a slight increase in numbers from 1,050 in 2025 to 1,099 in 2026.

Brimstone

Compared with the 2025 data, the majority of species were in an increase, albeit to varying degrees. These included the Small Skipper and Essex Skipper combined, Brimstone, Small White, Green-veined White, Orange Tip, Small Copper, Holly Blue, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Peacock, Gatekeeper, and Meadow Brown. 

Holly Blue

Gatekeeper

The species that did particularly well were the Brimstone, whose numbers increased from 48 in 2025 to 80; the Small Copper, rising from 8 to 40; the Holly Blue, from 20 to 87; the Gatekeeper, from 79 to 111; and the Meadow Brown, from 88 to 115. Additionally, the Brimstone, Holly Blue, and Gatekeeper achieved higher counts this year than in any previous year.

Small Copper

Sorrel planted at the Butterfly Park as food for the Small Copper caterpillars

A decade of effort has been made to increase the stock of Sheep’s Sorrel (a caterpillar food plant) at the Park, and it is incredibly encouraging to see the Small Copper flourishing this year. Both the Small Copper and Brimstone have created exciting educational opportunities for children and adults visiting the Park to witness eggs and growing caterpillars first-hand.

Speckled Wood

Conversely, numbers dipped for the Large White, Common Blue, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, and Speckled Wood. Although the number of Speckled Wood was lower this year (162) than in 2025 (272), it remains higher than in the years prior to 2025.

Small Tortoiseshell

Habitat management work will continue during the winter months while the Park is closed to visitors. This work includes cutting back brambles to encourage the growth of grass and wildflower species, planting more caterpillar food plants, and scything the meadows. We hope for more insect-friendly weather next year.

Comma

All photos: Roy Lowry

Report by Yan Wang and Charles Collins

What Is a Butterfly Transect Walk?

A butterfly transect walk is a recording method used to monitor the abundance, diversity, distribution, and long-term population trends of butterflies. Under the Cheshire and Wirral Branch of Butterfly Conservation, there are currently 68 established transects in Wirral.

The data collected through these transects walks feeds into the database at the United Kingdom Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS), providing valuable insights into butterfly populations and how they change over time across the UK.

Watch out for the next Blog from Yan and Charles all about carrying out butterfly transects.

Another Amazing Apple Afternoon at the Butterfly Park 2026

Sunday 11th October was a warm October day - perfect weather for the fourth New Ferry Butterfly Park Apple Afternoon to celebrate locally grown apples.

Even more people came this year - well over 100 - so thank you to everyone who visited and our volunteers who make it possible to hold such an event.

Visitors to the 2026 Apple Day

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, volunteers collected apples and manned the apple press so that visitors could taste freshly pressed juice. 

Apples have to be washed, minced and then pressed.

Mincing apples

Making the apple juice in the wooden press

Having a go of the apple press

Tasting the apple juice

We had 21 varieties of apples picked from orchards at Brimstage and Upton Hall School plus varieties from some of our volunteers' gardens. What wonderful names these old varieties have - some dating back to the 17th century. Some like Tydeman Red and Arthur 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.

The apple tasting table

We also contrasted the different sizes of apples.

The smallest and largest apples we had on display

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. Why not come along to our 2027 Apple Afternoon and try your luck?

Try to peel an apple in one long unbroken strip

Apple Varieties 2026

Annie Elizabeth
Arthur Barnes
Ashmead’s Kernel
Bee Bench
Blenheim Orange
Bramley
Catshead
Chivers Delight
Crawley Beauty
Egremont Russett
Ellison’s Orange
Golden Noble
Greensleeves
James Grieve
Lord Derby
Lord Lambourne
Peasgood’s Nonsuch
Red Love
Tydeman Red
William Crump
Worcester Pearmain

Linda Higginbottom

New Ferry Butterfly Park Volunteer Coordinator

Thank You To Stephen Ross, Our Retiring Chairman

Stephen's retirement gift presentation at the AGM

At our AGM on 11th October 2026, Stephen Ross retired from his role as chairman. Stephen had been Chair of Wirral Wildlife for 22 years, definitely our longest-serving chair in our 55 year history. He blames Hilary for recruiting him, but actually several members of the then committee were involved. We initially asked him to represent us at Dee Estuary Conservation Group meetings, a task he has done ever since, for some time serving as their chair. However, having drawn him in, we rapidly persuaded him to be Wirral Wildlife chair.

Stephen Ross, recently retired Chairman

Somehow he has guided the committee ever since with a gentle but firm hand, through thick and thin - including when we talked too much. He never dominated, but always gave Committee members the freedom to develop their roles in their own way and supported their activities, often joining in.

Planting a black poplar at Home Farm, Landican

Planting trees for Cheshire Wildlife Trust's 60th anniversary

Cake to celebrate after the tree planting!

Operating the apple press at an Apple Day

He been a great support to our outreach activities, such as introducing the talks which form our winter programme, and leading the discussions with which these close. He is also a willing volunteer at the various stalls and displays we put on at various events through the year. 

Always willing to help at events, here at Science Under The Stars at Heswall Primary School

Stephen has represented Wirral Wildlife on many occasions, from meeting MPs, Lords Lieutenant and councillors and chairing workshops, to linking us to contacts at Rotary, Probus and Heswall Society, and many other people whom he `just happens to know’.

Open Day at New Ferry Butterfly Park in 2024

Butterfly Park Open Day in 2014

In 2017 Wirral Wildlife gained the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. Our group was established to protect and champion wildlife in the Wirral and this award represented the tremendous achievements of everyone in Wirral Wildlife over the previous 46 years. Stephen and his wife Carol represented the group at a Buckingham Palace Garden Party.

Stephen and Wirral Wildlife committee members receiving Wirral Wildlife's Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service

Soon after becoming Chair of Wirral Wildlife, he became a member of CWT Council and a Trustee, bringing his expertise from his professional life to the Personnel Subcommittee of CWT and to the preparation of several reports relating to CWT activities. Stephen had a career in the criminal justice system and has done much good work with Wirral Women’s and Children’s Aid, where he was a trustee for 11 years, committee chair for about 20 years and is now Patron.

Last year Stephen was recognised by Cheshire Wildlife Trust as their Volunteer of the Year.

Stephen getting his Cheshire Wildlife Trust Volunteer of the Year award

We also thank his wife Carol for supporting Stephen and even hosting committee meetings at their house for some years.

Stephen has worked hard for nature in Wirral and we thank him very much. He is not being allowed to completely retire – he will still be a committee member for as long as he wishes.

The Wirral Wildlife committee on a visit to Prenton Dell Claypit this year

Volunteering at Cleaver Heath - Summer 2026

The highlight of the summer at Cleaver was the appearance of new heather growth within both the experimental regeneration area where seed containing heather shoots were spread last October, and across the main areas of the reserve that were badly damaged by fire in August last year. Gorse, birch, bracken and grass regrowth has been vigorous across the burnt areas since the fire so it is very gratifying to finally see the new heather growing from both seed and underground shoots of mature heather whose rootstock survived the heat. 

New heather growth at Cleaver Heath

Within the regeneration area, despite the clearance of significant amounts of bracken rhizome by the contractors, and subsequently by the volunteers, regrowth of bracken occurred, especially around the edges of the area and volunteers have been kept busy pulling the fronds away from the new underlying heather.

Clearing bracken from the heather regeneration area

Volunteers also worked hard to clear bracken from those areas of the main heather panel which thankfully were spared by the fire last year. Even before the fire, bracken clearance within this part of the heath been an annual task for many years and while never completely eliminating bracken, it has seen bracken growth become significantly less vigorous over time.

More bracken clearance!

Graham from CWT has been strimming very vigorous bracken regrowth across the burnt areas of the lower sloping heath and the volunteers raked off the cut fronds to help any new underlying heather growth.

The new heather growth across the reserve coincided with the UK's hottest summer on record according to the Met Office so it has been a challenge for it to survive especially across the burnt areas where the exposed surface soil has become visibly cracked and parched. While some of it has suffered and turned brown in the heat, significant amounts of new heather have survived, helped by the recent rains. Unfortunately the hot weather does not seem to have adversely affected the growth of birch and gorse seedlings and bracken!!

Cracks in the very dry ground during the hot summer

It is always a pleasure to take a break from the physical work during task days and explore the wildlife of the heath. Interesting observations include a common lizard within a burnt area among some dead gorse, a buff-tip moth caterpillar munching on a young birch seedling, many nursery-web spiders and webs on gorse, heather and grasses and an ant-bug (Alydus calcaratus) a dry heathland specialist, so-called because young nymphs resemble ants and may develop within ant nests of which there are many on Cleaver!

Common lizard and buff tip moth caterpillar

Ant bug and nursery web spider

On a particularly hot day in July it was unusual to see a very white, gilled fungus growing out from the base of a mature birch tree in the wooded area surrounding the heath. It seems to fit the description of the pale oyster mushroom (Pleurotus pulmonarius) which tends to favour warmer conditions for growth compared with other Pleurotus species. 

Oyster mushroom

Alan Irving's annual butterfly transect count for the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS) from Cleaver to Thurstaston, has revealed a bumper year overall with 16 species recorded at Cleaver dominated by speckled woods, small whites, green-veined whites, holly blues and gatekeepers.

Below is a photo of a gatekeeper feeding on ragwort within the wildflower area at Cleaver which was originally a car park for the old hospital.

Gatekeeper butterfly on ragwort

Acknowledgement to all the volunteers who contributed photos for this update.

John McGaw
Volunteer Warden, Cleaver Heath

Small Coppers Surveyed at New Ferry Butterfly Park

Small copper at the Butterfly Park

At the conclusion of the transect recording season for 2026, Yan and Charles had recorded a total of 41 Small Copper butterflies at New Ferry Butterfly Park, marking the highest count achieved to date. While favourable weather conditions undoubtedly contributed to this abundance, population success is also highly dependent on the availability of larval host plants. 

Sorrels - specifically Sheep’s Sorrel, Common Sorrel, and occasionally Broad-leaved Dock -serve as the primary food sources for Small Copper caterpillars.

Female Small Copper butterflies lay their eggs on the upper surface of leaves. Upon hatching, the larvae consume the foliage before moving in search of more food plants until they are ready to pupate. 

Over the past decade, Paul Loughnane has grown approximately 200 Sheep’s Sorrel plants, which have been planted by volunteers at the Park to support the Small Copper population.

Sheep’s Sorrel thrives in nutrient-poor, well-drained acidic soil. As a historic coal goods siding, the Park benefits from extensive ground patches featuring a thick layer of coal beneath the turf. 

Recently, more sorrels were planted after removing turf and loosening the underlying coal-soil substrate. Protective signage will be installed to mitigate foot traffic across the patch, ensuring that the Small Copper butterfly population continues to thrive at the Butterfly Park.

Sorrel planted at the park

A September Photo Tour of New Ferry Butterfly Park

After an incredibly dry August, the September rain has restored the pond to its normal level.

The dragonflies soon returned.

Male common darter. Photo: Roy Lowry

Signs of autumn are everywhere and there are still flowers in bloom and some butterflies on the wing.

Berries on a rowan tree

Blackberries on the brambles

Aster

Ragwort

A pair of small copper butterflies. Photo: Roy Lowry

There are elegant looking seed heads.

Teasel

Wild carrot

Cow parsley

Here's the view down the steps near the Brick Pit Pond.

The Pupa sculpture by Karon McGunigall

Rotting logs provide another important habitat.

The area where the industrial artefacts were stored has recently been cleared.

They are now in the crane base near the Imago Hut where a new display will be created.

Work in progress for a new display of industrial artefacts

The compost bins are full.

And the woodchip pile will be added to over the winter.

The new container has a system to collect rainwater from the roof.

Work continues through the autumn.

We are extremely grateful to the volunteers who grew then sold plants on Sunday afternoons. Also to those who bought the plants and in so doing raised over £900 for Butterfly Park funds.

The plant sale area

The opening season ended on September 13th and the volunteers met up for a barbecue.

The end of season barbecue for volunteers

Our next event will be Apple Afternoon on October 11th, 2 - 4pm. Do come and join us!