New Ferry Butterfly Park is an urban nature reserve that was developed on the former site of a railway goods yard, coal yard and water softening plant at Bebington and New Ferry Station. The reserve occupies 2 hectares and is designated as a Local Wildlife Site. There are acidic, calcareous, nutrient poor & nutrient rich grasslands reflecting the different industrial substrates of the past. In addition there are two ponds, hedgerows, scrub, hazel coppice, artefacts of the brick-making and railway eras.

Recorders: Phil Brighton, Elspeth Brighton, Eric Davies, Leanna Dixon, Elina Doss, Phil Duckers, Eric Fletcher, Gary Hedges, Tony Hunter, Roy Lowry, John McGaw, Ron Warne, Clive Washington

Notable Records:

Astenus pulchellus (Staphylinidae), C. Washington.
• Probably new to Cheshire and the region.
• Found around an ant nest heap.

Myrmecocephalus concinnus (Staphylinidae), C. Washington.
• Probably new to Cheshire. Just 22 records on NBN Atlas, and perhaps only one previous record for
the region from VC60 (D.R. Nash article in The Coleopterist).
• Found around an ant nest heap.

Volucella inanis (Syrphidae), R. Lowry
• No Wirral records on NBN Atlas but four on iRecord, including three from 2021

Brachymeria tibialis (Chalcididae), E. Brighton, Det. T. Hunter.
• Probably new to Cheshire. Only added to the British list is 2008. A parasitoid of Burnet Moth pupae.

Download NFBP Species List & Raw Data [Excel spreadsheet] last updated 18/11/2022

A key for the ‘Conservation status’ column is available in the above download.