One of Salford’s local conservation experts and wildlife photographers has captured a radiant photo of a Holly Blue butterfly near Greengate.
Dr Luke Blazejewski, a keen nature enthusiast, took the photo after waiting patiently for the shot for five hours along the River Irwell yesterday.
Towards the end of the summer the Holly Blue butterflies live around areas of ivy in the trees, which is where Dr Blazejewski spotted the insect.
“It’s just a matter of waiting for hours because occasionally they come lower down to the ground to bask on the bramble or holly, and that’s really your chance to strike,” he said.
Chris Winnick, chairman of the Lancashire Branch of the Butterfly Conservation Society (BCS), said: “The Holly Blue butterfly is a beautiful sight.
“The blue colour is so different to all the other butterflies you’re likely to see.”
The BCS’s Big Butterfly Count, which ran from 17 July to 9 August, saw a staggering 50,000 sightings of the migratory four-winged insects nationwide.
Laura Sivell of the Big Butterfly Count said: “The importance that butterflies have is as an indicator of a healthy habitat.
“When there’s a good habitat with lots of flowers, there will be butterflies.
“When the butterflies die out then you know you have a problem with your environment.”
Dr Blazejewski, who runs the @NatureInSalford Twitter account, has form in capturing rare species of wildlife in Salford.
The illustrious pink grasshopper, spotted in meadowland in Blackfriars, made the national papers in June, while a shot of an African Hummingbird hawkmoth in Broughton appeared in July.
With over 60% of Salford being green space, the city has vast amounts of wildlife to explore – but Dr Blazejewski believes many Salford residents don’t notice the vast amount of variety of species that the city has to offer.
“What makes Salford different is that it has got so much biodiversity around it- and yet nobody seems to see it, which, as a photographer, fascinates me,” he said.
