Monthly Archives: June 2016

Butterflies, Capernum, Bethlehem and Jerusalem

Posted
Filed under Golan, Israel

Capernum, photographed by Jeff Zablow at Lake Kinneret, Golan Heights, Israel

I know that this image will sing to so many of the wonderful folks who visit wingedbeauty.com. Do you recognize it? I’m standing at it’s entrance, and we are looking across The Sea of Galilee. The hills across the Sea are wonderful natural heights that effectively separate Israel from its neighbor to east, Jordan.

I was here, on my way back from photographing butterflies further south, very, very close to the Jordanian-Israel border. The dark clouds and light drizzle that dogged my fieldwork that morning had burned off here.

This is Capernum National Park. Capernum, the same Capernum that you may have tried to envision, back in Sunday school, sometime back.

Butterflies, Capernum, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Some of you have the wherewithal, others of you are 1 lottery ticket away from it. If this post triggers any one of you to book your flight to the HolyLand, let me know. Maybe we can coordinate 2017 Victory trips. No?

Jeff

Friday for Coral Hairstreaks?

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Filed under Flowers Loved by Butterflies, Hairstreak, Raccoon Creek State Park, PA

Coral Hairstreak Butterfly photographed by Jeff Zablow in Fort Indiantown Gap Military Reservation, PA

This morning at Raccoon Creek State Park set the table for me, so to speak. The huge Doak Meadow (100 acres +/-) was green and lush, with frenetic male Great Spangled Fritillaries flying non-stop in their desperate search for females. I did see two females, but they stayed low to the ground, flying under the upper stratum of meadow grasses, perennials and shrubs.

There was a near total absence of Bergamot (had a big display in 2014), common milkweed plants were in the minority, even dogbane was not as numerous as years gone by. Joe Pye Weed was present here and there along the forest that edged the meadow, but here another puzzling minimal showing. Goldenrod was coming along, but it too appeared to be reduced in concentration.

The big find of the morning were a handful of Northern Pearly Eyes, looking fine, and probably pleased with the rains that we had a few days ago. One Northern, with what seemed like a smile, offered a swell pose, if, if I set my foot into a small puddle. I did, and my boot sank 4″ into mud! Absent were Wood Nymphs, and the Little Wood Satyrs were all (?) worn and very pale in color. One Little Wood Satyr gave me a full, unhurried photo opp of its dorsal surface, but it was quite worn, with heavy scale loss.

Before I called it a morning, I found this clump of Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa). It’s the same group of plants that this image shows. They were a day or two away from opening. The Coral Hairstreak butterfly you see here is usually difficult to find, and these blooms are their very favorite. You know I’m thinking, wouldn’t it be wonderful if I could cop an image of Coral and Butterfly Weed that surpasses this one?

That means returning those 37.2 miles in 2 days, on Friday, June 24th. No guarantees, and if I can return to this spot, it might also mean bringing my tiny folding seat, and waiting patiently for the Corals to show up, if 2016 is a year when they do. There are no guarantees, only perseverance, tenacity,  enthusiasm and . . . a dab of Luck.

Jeff

Lesser Fiery Copper in Israel

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Filed under Copper, Ramat Hanadiv, Israel

Lesser Fiery Copper butterfly, photographed by Jeff Zablow at Ramat Hanadiv, Israel

I was hot, quite hot on one of Ramat Hanadiv’s descending trails. It was morning, but it was h-o-t. No sweat as they say for this guy, a lesser Fiery Copper (Lycaena thersamon omphale), intent on sipping as much nectar as he can. March 2016, and Jeff searches of new, new butterflies, new looks, new botany, new, new, new. New is exciting and shareable, with you.

The challenge is to capture new images that deserve an audience. A big challenge that, because I’d prefer to expose 2o or 30 images of a beautiful new butterfly, and, 19 out of 20 times they just don’t allow that kind of friendliness. They flee, or they alight on a bloom or a left for a split second, and seemingly with effort are repositioned on a new flower, 17 feet away.

When this image returned from Dwayne’s Photo in Kansas, I was taken with the golden forewing and the patterned hindwing, and more.

Jeff, 10 minutes from Mishmarot (my daughter) and 10 minutes from dipping into his LL Bean knapsack for a Cocoa Loco bar (gluten-free). Jeff who loves Coppers, this one included.

Jeff

I Thought, ‘How Beautiful!’

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Filed under Native Plants and Flowers, Ramat Hanadiv, Israel, Wildflowers

Nerved-Calyx Stachys wildflower, photographed by Jeff Zablow at Ramat Hanadiv, Israel

I’m alone on a trail at Ramat Hanadiv. The end of winter in Israel, Middle Eastern winter. Winter rains and itsy bitsy snow was the ‘deposit.’ Wildflowers everywhere here was the ‘withdrawal.’ 2016 and I’m Blessed to be in Israel once again, March 2016.

Butterflies. My eyes are triggered to see them flying, perched, nectaring, mud puddling, here there and everywhere. These recent years, I’ve sought to be acutely aware of beautiful flowers and extraordinary native botany.

Here’s a bounty of that visual scanning thing. Saw it, liked it, examined it and concluded, Don’t know it but like it. Half way around the world, and it made me think: The Jews saw it here, the Romans saw it here, the Greeks saw it here, the Crusaders saw it here, the Christians saw it here, the British saw it here, the Turks saw it here and the Arabs saw it here. Sobering.

Nerved-Calyx Stachys is found north of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and all the way to the upper Galilee and the Golan Heights. It blooms predictably in March and April. It’s demure and fascinating.

Come in 2017 and we’ll search it out. Serious. You know who you are.

Jeff

Eye Contact with Bessie?

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Filed under Upper Galilee, Israel

Chocolate Brown Cow, photographed by Jeff Zablow at Nahal Dishon National Park, Upper Galilee, Israel

She and her calf weren’t there when I followed a primitive trail deeper into a corner of Nahal Dishon Park, Upper Galilee region of Israel. I’ve been sharing images of my February to March 2016 views, and some of what I share is the product of mixed weather, sometimes thick clouds, sometimes rain. It’s the end of their winter, and the acceptable amount of rain has enriched this verdant region with blankets of wildflowers, Lupines for example were all over, and sweet purple blush.

The drive from my SPNI (Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel) field house quarters to this park was up, up,  up and up, around sharp curves, challenging the boy who is a wee bit uncomfortable with heights.

Back to Miss Bessie. The boy hailing from Brooklyn works his way back to where the trail (mind you not a developed trail – now I know who made this trail over eons of time) began. Then I see her, all 800? or 900? pounds of her. She is just off the trail. I reconnoiter the situation, and spot more sweet brown just a few feet from her. A calf! I slow my pace, and continue on the trail. toward them. What would Virginia or Louise or Dave or Phil, all of you who grew up on farms, do? Mr. Concrete, brick  and asphalt is once again on a trail, with a very Big Girl, she is watching me like, well a hawk, and . . . she’s got her calf, too.

Less than 2 weeks later, on Mt. Belvoir in the Golan region, I again found myself along on a trail with a huge, very interested cow. That cow never stopped watching me, and then she began moving toward me. I at least had trees between me and her, as you see I had between Bessie and I. I moved out down that Belvoir mountain trail, how do you say? Likity split.

Bessie let me be. There was no owner to be seen. Cattle roam here in the Upper Galilee. They roam in the Golan region. I have no idea how their owners keep track of them. Really close to Hot borders with Lebanon and Syria, armored vehicles (AKA tanks) are common here, and they too must be aware of the presence of cattle, here and there.

A share then of the unexpected. City boy cum butterfly photographer, and 900 pound powerhouses, alone together, all parties docile?

Jeff