Tag Archives: field work

Unsolved Mysteries at White Tank Mountains Park

Posted
Filed under Other Insects, White Tank Mtn. Regional Park, AZ

Darner-type fly, photographed by Jeff Zablow in White Tank Mts. Regional Park, AZ

You and I don’t like unsolved mysteries. For me, field work in distant habitat often ends with questions that go long unanswered. Some, perhaps you, often make friends with far-flung butterfly, moth, bird, snake, orchid, wildflower, big cat or others whose knowledge and breadth of field work ranks them as regional or national or international experts.

I’ve been blessed to have met some, but maybe I’ve not met as many as I’d like to have met. Phil, Rose & Jerry, Mike, Barbara Ann A”H (OBM”), Nancy & John, Angela, Dave, Jerry and Virginia shared and impressed. 2021 beckons, and several new possibilities beckon. For that, I am, even at this point in my life’s journey, very excited.

I met this insect in that forbidden (signs said do not enter at your own risk (risk of flash flooding)) arroyo west of Phoenix, Arizona. I was in my search for butterflies, there just a very limited number of plants in flower, that summer, with the temperature reaching the upper ’90’s, around 10 A.M.. It flew in, was not a butterfly but, was beautiful and of course, I shot away. It fed on nectar, allowed me to shoot it, and soon left.

I expect that I will never know the species name and common name of this animal. I’m uncomfortable ‘researching it online’ for I’m never sure that I’ve correctly determined the species. I do want to have those who are deep in knowledge of such species to help, but I don’t know who they are, it is Arizona, thousands of miles away from the desk in Macon, and . . . .

Jeff

A Pleasing Result of a Posting

Posted
Filed under Brushfoot, Mt. Meron, Israel

Lasiommata Megera butterfly photographed by Jeffrey Zablow at Mt. Meron

Yesterday I was pleased to be in contact with a respected photographer of Israeli/HolyLand butterflies. He wrote well of an image that I shared with y’all, the recent image of Pararge aegeria aegeria. That left me feeling good, and led to my spending some time remembering my 13? 15? or so trips to Israel, and the unforgettable field work I enjoyed there, all of it alone, as usual, with nary a soul to reminisce with.

Recent family events have saddened me, although my life ahead, well it promises much happiness and joy! Having so accomplished a photographer as Yaron share positives, even at this point in my rich, unique life, that meant much to Jeffrey L.

Not quite a rare as Pararge, this Lasiommata megara emilyssa male is a fine example of his species, and you have no idea how cautious I was to make this approach to him, on that high trail on Mt. Meron in Israel’s Upper Galilee. Who too hiked this mountain? King David? Jesus? Joshua? You?

Jeff

Wildflower Meet-Up

Posted
Filed under Native Plants and Flowers, Pigeon Mountain, GA, Wildflowers

Wildflower photographed by Jeff Zablow at Pigeon Mountain, GA

Sure I used to search for butterflies, and little noticed the wildflowers I passed. That was then, and well, this is now. I readily identify almost all of the the eastern butterflies that I meet. My search in 2019 will be a much more selective one, compared say to my field work in 2009.

Why? I’ve seen some thousands of Eastern tailed blues, Pearl crescents, Commas, Eastern tiger swallowtails, Great spangled fritillaries and Orange sulphur butterflies. Amazingly, I’ve now scored lots of Zebra swallowtails, Pipevine swallowtails, Gulf and Variegated fritillaries, Giant swallowtails and even Mourning cloak butterflies. When I see them, I don’t ignore them. What I do is run a 1/1,000th of a second scan of each and only stop if the results are fresh, handsome and complete (no wing damage or significant scale loss). This because my own library of slides and images now sports good images of a whole lot of butterflies.

All this allows me more time to stop and admire wildflowers, especially ones that I don’t know. Hauling field guides with me challenges the mule in me, and Jeff, TBTold, will never be adept with using his cell phone to ID wildflowers as so many do. Would that Barbara Ann, Angela, Ellen, Curt, Virginia, Roger, Dave and Phil were with me each time, for they know what they see . . .

This pert wildflower captured my attention on Pigeon Mountain, in the northwest corner of Georgia.  These meet-ups puzzle and challenge. (‘Have we met before?’) What say you to it?

Jeff

My First Ringlet

Posted
Filed under Common Ringlet, Frewsburg NY

Common Ringlet Butterfly on Daisy photographed by Jeff Zablow at Frewsburg, NY

I’d expected to see my first Common Ringlet some 15 years ago. Not to be. True I saw a species of Ringlet in 2016 along the Israeli Mediterranean coastline, just south of the Lebanon border. That was unexpected, and exciting. When would I finally see the American Common Ringlet?

The first encounter with a USA Common Ringlet, this one, could not have been predicted. Barbara Ann and I returned from doing field work in her far western New York state. I dropped her off in her Frewsburg, New York home. She suggested that before I went back to my rented cabin, I scour the wildflowers on either side of her road. OK, it was a beautiful day, and who knows?

Bingo! My first Common Ringlet, nectaring peacefully, on those hundreds of tiny flowerhead.s.

Lesson learned? Listen to Barbara Ann and lesson #2, don’t discount the possibilities offered by your own, and your friend’s nearby blooms?

What’s your best remembered find, right there under your own nose?

Jeff

Love the Blues, I Do

Posted
Filed under Blues, Mt. Hermon, Israel
Common Blue Butterfly at Mt. Hermon, Israel

Common Blue Butterfly at Mt. Hermon, Israel photographed by Jeffrey Zablow ©2010, http://www.wingedbeauty.com

Tell me how many problems you have with the ‘common’ species name that they gave this butterfly, on the slopes of majestic Mt. Hermon, in Israel? The name? Common Blue Butterfly.

A blue that Frank Sinatra, Ole Blue Eyes, would’ve loved. The kind of blue that you drown in when you look into the eyes of anyone lucky enough to sport same. The class of blue on the finest china services of the very spoiled.

Here is my basis for continuing to shoot Fuji film. Love rich blues, browns, reds and more.

A ‘Common’ blue male, resting peacefully in the northernmost tip of Israel, in the Holyland, as surprised to see me as I was pleased to drink-in its privileged blue with my color thirst eyes.

Jeff