Category Archives: Golan, Israel

Cyaniris Antiochena, a Tiny Blue Butterfly, Flew into Wildflowers on a Primitive Trail

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Cyaniris antiochena butterfly photographed by Jeffrey Zablow at Northernmost Golan, Israel

How exciting is it to find a rare HolyLand (Israel) butterfly? Answer: Very. How much more exciting is it to find such a rare butterfly Without the aid of a guide? Answer: Crazy much more exciting! Have you scoured remote. distant and rarely visited locales?

This is such. I was on a 5 day trip up to the north of Israel, to the uppermost Golan region, north of Capernum. Remember the fascination of Capernum when you were in Sunday school? The only folks I saw those days were soldiers, that’s how remote it was. The borders with Syria and Jordan were about a 30-minute drive, and a kid from Brooklyn  never loses sight of that.

This tiny blue butterfly, Cyaniris Antiochena flew in to wildflowers on the primitive trail I was working, and I of course, shot away. Here’s the best of those exposures. Rare tiny blues in wild, wild northern Israel.

I would’ve loved to have been there with you, but OK.

Jeff

Found! Another Difficult to Find HolyLand Butterfly

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Cyaniris antiochena butterfly photographed by Jeffrey Zablow at Northernmost Golan, Israel

How much does it take to please you? Me? This image did it for me. I found her in the Upper Golan region of the HolyLand. Cyaniris Antiochena Antiochena flies from April to May in the Golan and Upper Galilee regions fo the HolyLand/Israel.

Went there to visit family, and to bring back images of rare butterflies, for you to enjoy. I had no guide, no tips from experts or those in the know. I have a field guide, and good maps. G-d was there for me in the HolyLand, enabling me to achieve my goal of finding butterflies that are 1/2 way around the world, and endangered and difficult to find or shoot.l

I just Googled this one, and Daddah! my image came up immediately! That pleases me, alot. A rare Blue butterfly where Th-y once walked. Still pleasing us, today.

Jeff

Image #2 Of the Rare Golan Butterfly

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Pararge Aegeria Butterfly photographed by Jeffrey Zablow in Northern Golan, Israel

Here’s our 2nd image of the rare Pararge Aegeria we found in that dry spring bed in the Golan region of northeastern Israel, the HolyLand. He’s sporting Jeff’s beloved browns and coffee-browns, with neat white ‘eyes’ in the two left upper wing surfaces that we see here.

Rare to the Middle East, Jeff was beyond happy! to find him. Want to meet-up with him? Head to the foothills of mighty Mt. Hermon, and today, know that more than 50,000 Syrian soldiers are just 4 miles or so away, they masquerading as Syrian soldiers, and driving vehicles masquerading as Syrian military vehicles.

War-like peoples don’t give a hoot about the butterflies and the pristine habitat, do they?

Jeff

Rare Golan Butterfly

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Filed under Golan, Israel, Pararge Aegeria

Pararae Aegeria butterfly photographed by Jeff Zablow in Northern Golan, 3/20/12

Serendipity! Those times when you set out to find a rare HolyLand butterfly in the Golan region of the HolyLand, Israel . . . and you do, you find one! Pararge Aegeria. The reckoning of what you are seeing, knowing that this butterfly is endangered and its existence is fragile, very much thrills me.

Know that I could not control the locale that P. aegeria flies in, here the shaded bed of a nearly dried creek.

I live in the U.S.A. and know that Israelis may have seen this rare Golan region butterfly, they having to travel the 2+ hours from the middle of Israel or the 3+ hours from Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. Me? I had to travel the 7,000 miles from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Seeing P. aegeria for me? Exhilarating.

Jeff

Butterflies In War Zones?

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Golan Heights Seen from Belvoir Mountain National  Park, photographed by Jeff Zablow at Golan Heights, Israel

I was on Belvoir Mountain, in the Belvoir Mountain National Park in northeastern Israel. What do you see in this pic? You’re looking due north, into the Golan Heights of Israel. Just beyond the hill you see, is the Mt. Hermon range.

I was on Mt. Belvoir to find and photograph butterflies. When I looked north, looked as you’re looking now, I was pleased, for this area that you see supports many butterflies.

I again view this panorama, and it gives me pause, for I recently shared that Iran, a very belligerent, bloodthirsty country, has massed more than 50,000 of its soldiers on the north face of Mt. Hermon. They’re prepping for an invasion of Israel, they now dressed in Syrian army uniforms and they driving Syrian marked military vehicles.

It pains me that Israel, desperately seeking Peace, Israel with 2 of my grandsons there, looks forward to savage Syrian attack. This world, which prides itself as modern and advanced, continue to suffer barbaric episodes.

So in the very same plain, shown here, where I found beautiful butterflies, where Jesus, Joshua and King David walked, barbarians dream of butchery.

I close with some positive assurance. Israel is now equipped with an IAF (Israel Air Force) that no invasion should confront, for obvious reasons.

Butterflies, grandsons, God’s lush HolyLand. May it only see Peace.

Jeff . . . Serious for a Moment.