MP visits Butterfly Park

Last Friday Alison McGovern MP enjoyed a "frosty" visit to New Ferry Butterfly Park on Friday, hosted by Janel Fone, chief executive of Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Stephen Ross, chair of Wirral Wildlife and members of the Butterfly Park committee. Fuelled by hot coffee, she had a tour of the Park and discussed various topics including:
- The on-going campaign to save the Park, including access.
- Problems with damage by a neighbour
- The effect on Cheshire Wildlife Trust and on people seeking careers in ecology of the demise of the Future Jobs Fund.

Janel and Hilary Ash will now be writing letters for Miss McGovern to bring to the attention of relevant ministers.

Award winning Sparrow

Our Treasurer John Gill is far too modest to tell you himself but his picture of a house sparrow recently won a local photography award.

Cockling on Leasowe Shore

The cockle bed at Leasowe (off Leasowe Gunsite) has recently been opened by North West Fisheries for commercial cockling resulting in many vehicles on the beach racing up and down without any regard to local residents or the birdlife. This area is a Special Protection Area, a Special Area of Conservation, a Ramsar site and a SSSI yet the fisheries can completely disregard all this. As well as the disturbance and noise there is litter and mess scattered everywhere; local tax payers will have to pay to get it all cleaned up. There is also the question of public safety as this is an area where many people go walking. I would advise everyone who is concerned by this to voice their concerns to the local press, MPs and councillors, but in particular complain to North West Fisheries -

http://www.nw-sfc.gov.uk/enquiry.asp. The more people that complain the better.

This video of the beach gives an idea of the scale of the problem

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dewmuw/5199138659/

Thanks to Richard Smith of the Dee Estuary Birding website for the information.