Ori Saadia, 23, from the Orthodox settlement of Elon Moreh in the West Bank, is like many Israelis in that he served over 250 days of reserve duty this year. What differentiates Saadia from most other Israelis is the hobby he pursued in between stints of reserve duty: taking photos of Israeli wildlife, mostly birds of prey and migratory birds. “Sometimes I shoot from a hideout, sometimes from my car, and sometimes I walk around with my camera looking for subjects,” Saadia told Davar.
Nest robbery and habitat loss have significantly reduced Israel’s golden eagle population. Today, the golden eagle is an endangered species with only about ten nesting pairs left in Israel, the locations of which are kept secret. The practice of nest robbing and selling captive-raised eagles is common in the Middle East, including in the Palestinian Authority. There is little enforcement against those who rob raptor nests for a living.
Saadia has been photographing wildlife for five years. “I’ve always loved wildlife,” he explained. “Photography made me even more passionate about it. It started with photographing golden eagles, which thrilled me. From there, with the help of bird watchers and other photographers, I delved deeper into the field.”
Saadia works in security, though most of what he did this past year was serve in the army reserves, primarily in Gaza. He takes his camera with him to document the fighting but admits there’s little time for photography during combat, so he only take photos of nature when he’s home.
Saadia takes photographs near the edge of the Judean Desert, a region where Mediterranean shrublands, wooded areas of Elon Moreh, steep rocky terrain, and desert habitats all meet. The Kabir Ridge sits on the migration route of the Syrian-African Rift Valley, attracting a large number of migrating birds of prey in the spring and fall.
Over the past year, there were nearly ten instances where residents of the Palestinian West Bank city of Nablus set this area on fire. These arsonist choose days when the wind blows toward Elon Moreh, but wildlife is harmed by the fires much more than any Israelis are. Saadia noted that during his work in security, he often encounters cases of deliberate fires.
This wheatear species is common in the Negev desert. In the past, it was also seen on Mount Hermon, but in recent years, the northernmost point where it’s been observed is the Kabir Ridge.
The short-toed snake eagles nest on Mount Kabir. They are now migrating to Africa, where they will spend the winter and will return in spring.
Lortet’s iris is a rare and endemic plant in Israel that blooms every year around Passover. It grows in only a few locations in Israel and is considered one of the country’s most unique plants.
The Samaria fennel is a rare species observed in Israel only in three locations. Globally, it is found in the Caucasus, eastern Turkey, and Iran.
This article was translated from Hebrew by Ronen Cohen.
