Category Archives: Ramat Hanadiv, Israel

HolyLand Blues Coupled

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Filed under Blues, Ramat Hanadiv, Israel

Common Blue butterflies, photographed by Jeff Zablow at Ramat Hanadiv, Israel

Imagine my delight as I was working the terrain of Ramat Hanadiv’s extensive refuge, and what do I see? This pair of Pseudophilotes vicrama astanbe, coupled, motionless and sweet in color! Found them, and their total dedication to procreation enabled me to make a successful Macro- approach and score this image.

I love and take in their lush colors. Colors always capture me, and these here, especially the red darts of the female on the left, and the wash of blue on the male (right of image) bring a smile.

Ramat Hanadiv in within a mile of the Mediterranean Sea, and the good green seen behind attests to the rich flora of this region of Israel, hilly and vibrant.

Jeff

HolyLand Swallowtail

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Filed under Ramat Hanadiv, Israel, Swallowtail

Papilla Machaon butterfly, photographed by Jeff Zablow at Ramat Hanadiv, Israel

Here in the Georgia Piedmont, this last week or two has produced many Tiger Swallowtails in our new Macon garden. Facebook too has shared many posts that gleefully share news of good number of Eastern Tiger Swallowtails making their appearance in central Georgia. We’re watching them nectar on our Hibiscus, Cosmos, Azaleas (the 20 or so large bushes in our backyard now have several in bloom!), Coneflowers, Joe Pye and more.

While surfing through our Media Library here, I stopped at this, an image of a Papilio Machaon butterfly found at Ramat Hanadiv Refuge in central Israel, not far from the Mediterranean Sea. This HolyLand swallowtail, I male I think, is difficult to photograph, usually refusing to allow you to come closer than 10 feet from it.

Imagine, a HolyLand Swallowtail . . . wouldn’t that tickle your fancy?

Jeff

None Of You Will Guess Correctly (Not Even You)

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Filed under Admiral, Ramat Hanadiv, Israel, Red Admiral

Red Admiral butterfly photographed by Jeffrey Zablow at Ramat Hanadiv, Israel

It’s a Red Admiral butterfly (Vanessa atalanta) nectaring happily on a flower bed. Guess where they were seen?

Ohio? Georgia? Arizona? Ontario? Wales? Alaska? Mexico? Japan? Azbekistan? Portugal? The Gold Coast? Kenya? Australia? Machu Picchu? Nicaragua? People Republic of China? Thailand? Malaysia? UAE?

Want to know where I saw it?

Ramat

Hanadiv in the HolyLand/Israel.

An international butterfly, no?

Jeff

Tiny Pseudophilotes Vicrama Butterfly

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Filed under Blues, Ramat Hanadiv, Israel

Pseudophilotes Vicrama butterfly, photographed by Jeff Zablow at Ramat Hanadiv, Israel

Less than 2 miles from the shore of the Mediterranean Ocean, in the HolyLand, I scoured the hills of Ramat Hanadiv Refuge for butterflies. This north of Tel Aviv expansive reserve is an excellent destination to find butterflies and rare botany. On site they have an excellent restaurant for lunch, and at the end of each morning, I would make sure to enjoy an excellent meal, in their windowed dining room, with good view of the planted gardens.

That day I found this Pseudophilotes Vicrama butterfly, with its pleasant dotted ventral surface, flash of iridescent purplish dorsal wing surface and as you look closer, that sweet red dot. Angling to include the cute purple bloom seen to the right, the whole of the image pleases me, it does.

Butterflies, rare plants, wildlife and ruins, with a large parking lot, view of the Mediterranean Sea and excellent restaurant on site, more than enough, no?

Jeff

HolyLand Swallowtail Butterfly

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Filed under Ramat Hanadiv, Israel, Tarucus Rosaceus

Papilla Machaon butterfly, photographed by Jeff Zablow at Ramat Hanadiv, Israel

No, they aren’t approachable in The HolyLand, Israel. Don’t imagine that you can carefully approach a Swallowtail butterfly there, and capture its image. Oh, No.

This is a prized picture for me, of a male (?) Papilio Machaon Syriacus buiterfly. He flew into this bloom at Ramat Hanadiv preserve, closed to the Mediterranean Ocean. Me? I was standing just about there, and I knew, knew that this was a special opportunity for me, on my what, 8th or 9th trip to Israel.

Pleased I am, with a good image of a speedster butterfly.

Jeff