An Assembly of Tiles: Part 4 - the Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly

 

The small tortoiseshell tile for the Silver Jubilee gates

The small tortoiseshell tile is dedicated to the late Frank Cottrell. Frank’s passion was butterflies, but there being no locally active branch of Butterfly Conservation he became chair of Wirral Wildlife (1989 - 1998) and was a trustee of Cheshire Wildlife Trust from May 1992 until June 2005.

Frank was the key person in 1992-3 in getting the Cheshire Wildlife Trust to underwrite the lease of “Alma Street Goods Yard”, as the Butterfly Park was then known. As Chair of Wirral Wildlife, he went over the heads of Cheshire Wildlife Trust staff and got the Cheshire Wildlife Trustees on board. At that time, urban nature conservation was a new idea and a new direction for the Trust. Nearly a quarter of a century later in 2017 Frank retired as a Butterfly Park warden, at the age of 94. Frank was a Sunday afternoon warden because `it was so much fun’. He told visitors what to look out for, whatever was seasonal such as a common blue butterfly or a bee orchid, and visitors would report back to him with delight that they had spotted the wildlife feature. Frank took much pleasure in how the Park has progressed over the years and how it has engaged large numbers of people with wildlife. He gave a substantial donation to the funding of the Silver Jubilee Gates. His family gave the donations collected at Frank’s funeral to the Park. These were matched by Wirral Wildlife to enable the purchase of the industrial history interpretive lectern by the Brick Pit.

The small tortoiseshell is a familiar butterfly. It is a beautiful bright orange and black butterfly; the upper side of both the fore and hind wings are bright orange-rusty red with three black spots interspaced with yellow on the leading edge of the wing. A ring of dull blue spots or crescents line the edge of both wings. The butterfly over-winters as an adult and is often encountered while hibernating in a garage or shed. Adults emerge from hibernation at the end of March or start of April. There are two broods a year, so it is on the wing until September.

Hilary Ash, Frank Cottrell and David Hinde in the early days of the Butterfly Park

Pictured are Frank Cottrell, Hilary Ash and David Hinde (Butterfly Conservation local representative) about 1993 when the park was just getting underway, and nearly a quarter of century later at a presentation by  Alison McGovern MP, marking when Frank stepped down as a New Ferry Butterfly Park warden. 

Frank was presented with a framed print by Alison McGovern MP
when he retired as a warden at the Butterfly Park

Paul Loughnane
New Ferry Butterfly Park Reserve Manager