Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus)

This couple of black winged kite decided to settle down in Anjar Lebanon, a nice open area full of trees and farming fields with water source near by. It is the perfect place to start a family. They chose the highest tree in the area over seeing the entire plain to build their nest. Every week we went there documenting their presence. Their morning shower, hunting, mating, nest building and sunbathing.

It was magic, pure magic.

Little did they know, in the coming weeks this area would be a destination for hundreds of illegal hunters with neither remorse or shame of their actions nor accountability. Our experiences with them were cut short, as they were both shot down by the hunters.

Confronting the Harsh Reality of Nature's Challenges. As the final chapter unfolded, I was shaken to my core, confronted with the stark truth that amidst nature's breathtaking beauty lies a battleground fraught with challenges, chief among them ignorance and cruelty. The conclusion of this story plunged my bird photography endeavors in Lebanon into a downward spiral of despair, disillusionment and depression. It underscored the daunting task of raising awareness in a community hardened and determined to snuff out and kill all that is good and pure at a tender age.