I was captivated by the sweet beauty of those Small Copper Butterflies (Lycaena pulseas timeus) flying in the meadows surrounding Neve Ativ. That skiing moshav (village) on the slope of Mt. Hermon enjoyed lush wildflower meadows that Spring, and its Copper butterflies bedazzled.
She nectared long on this flowerhead, no rush, no concern. Her little stubs of ‘tails’ were there, and she had those faint blue dots on her hindwing.
Lycaenidae flying in the Golan of Israel, yummy!
Jeff
That little moshav (village) in Neve Ativ proved to be a goldmine for me. The meadows that surrounded Neve Ativ were covered with little wild flowering plants, that late winter. Late winter in the HolyLand (Israel) just explodes with butterflies, especially following a rainy winter.
There I was, in those meadows on the slopes of Israel’s greatest mountain, with Syria just on the other side of Mt. Hermon. I’ve posted many times of the killing fields of Syria, even posting an image taken from the peak of Mt. Hermon, looking down, enabling you to see perhaps 100 miles or more into Syria, that panorama was taken in 2008, before most of the Syrians down there fled, or were . . . .
This pair of Lycaena Thersamon Omphale butterflies made me so happy. He on the left, she on the right. No wind, strong morning sun, they both strong and fresh, and they fully intent on what they were doing.
What did this more than 15-minute photo shoot with them cause me to think? Much. Much.
Coppers engaged, in the HolyLand. Wish you were there with me. I do.
Jeff
Every time I gaze at this image, I remember how pleased I was to find these 2 in that meadow at the foot of ancient Mt. Hermon, at the northern end of the Golan. They were there 98% motionless, for a long time. I shot away, singing in my mind the lyrics to Elvis’ Love Me Tender: Love me tender, love me sweet . . . Never let me go . . . You have made my life complete . . . And I love you so.
This song makes Brooklyn tear up, and sights like this, just move me, truth be told. In a flowery meadow, in the HolyLand, on the slope of a Biblical mountain.
Lycaena Thersamon omphale. Male on the left, she on your right. Middle Eastern Coppers.
Jeff
We’re sure out there looking for things. Most, I’d think are looking for a) Rare Butterflies. b) Butterflies We’d Seen Once or Twice Before c) Butterflies Blessed With Exceptional (Special) Beauty. When you’re out in the field, and you spot such, your blood pressure goes wuuupP up! Me, then, I talk to myself, in my head, tell myself what I need to do to maybe, maybe capture a good image of the extraordinary butterfly before me.
This was such a butterfly, Lycaena Thersamon, in a meadow at the edge of a small moshav (town) on the slope of mighty Mt. Hermon. The Upper Golan region of the HolyLand has many many rare and many many fresh butterflies. The snow covered mountain feeds streams that descent Mt. Hermon and water the entire region for many months after. No wonder the habitat, drenched in sunshine daily, is just plain . . . gorgeous.
I Love the color of his wings. My goodness.
Jeff
Melanie posted images today of rare Hairstreak butterflies she saw in Washington State. Javier and Mike share images of rare butterflies they find in the LRGV (Lower Rio Grande Valley) of Texas. Vitaly shoots butterflies of Alabama. Sertac and Aytac photo butterflies in Turkey and Deepthi’s images of butterflies are those of Sri Lanka. Laura takes hers along the Georgia coast.
Yaron shares his photos of Israeli butterflies on Facebook. It occurred to me few Americans, Sri Lankans, French enthusiasts, Chinese, Estonian, Canadian or Hungarian folks ever, ever get to see photos of Middle Eastern butterflies. Get to see the butterflies of the HolyLand/Israel.
I am pleased that many have visited wingedbeauty.com and Facebook, and have seen and enjoyed our images of Israeli butterflies. That thought warms me. Family is puzzled that I have produced wingedbeauty.com so these many years, but here is one Good Reason among many, for our ongoing sharing.
This Copper butterfly was seen in Neve Ativ, a moshav (village) on the slope of mighty Mt. Hermon, in the Israeli Golan. Just on the other side of Hermon is the killing field that was known as Syria. I continue to hope that she is a rare Copper, but know that she may be of the more common Lycaena Thersamon.
Butterflying alone in the vast, sparsely populated Golan, with thousands of elite Israeli troops nearby (very nearby) and down the other side of Mt. Hermon? Syrian troops, Russian troops, Iranian troops, Hezbollah terrorists, Chinese, North Korean and Pakistani ‘Instructors’ and only G-d knows who else.
Jesus grew up a not very long car ride away, in Capernum.
The places I’ve gone. Holy Spaghetti!
Jeff
Winged Beauty Butterflies 