Category: Bumblebee

Bonus: Back Catalog Bumble

So today I shot bees for a while. Sorted through the shots and figured I had about 200 or so that I could publish on the site (if I wanted to). Lots were similar to each other, of course, and that could be less than interesting. But I say that to point out that during the winter, when the bees are dormant, I do have lots of back catalog to use to come up with the daily bee.

That said, normally during the winter I scramble to find a new bee every day. That’s my habit, usually. That’s frustrating, though, in that the evenings seem to compress…and I run out of time. And bee posting can become a chore. So…frustrated with myself, I frontloaded February and March of this year – picked a shot for each day of those two months. Meant to take some pressure off myself. But…with the return of the bees (and posting “shot today” bees), I find the folder called “ready to post” burgeoning. Not that that’s a bad thing, but…

So…here’s the shot that I would have published today had the bees still been dormant (or I had not shot, etc.). It’s a great bumble (Hunt’s) on that pollen-throwing workhorse, the blanket flower. Bonus! Enjoy.

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Among the Allium

Love the shapes in this one. Parts of orbs. Really wonder how the bumble sees it. I remember learning as just a really tiny kid that bees saw in “ultraviolet”. Didn’t know what that meant (and I’m still not really sure that I do) and I remember thinking about that lots. Coming to the understanding that I really was limited in what I could see (and, those elephants’ and dogs’ ranges) and hear and maybe even taste and feel and smell… Wondering if there were other senses that we (collectively) had not yet figured out. There are some real lessons here that I won’t yammer on about. One of my first memories, though, of pondering the world of bees…and then and thus…my own world, too.

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Dark Sunflower

So I’ve sheduled shots about a week in advance because I’m (or have been) out of town at a festival in Tubac, Arizona. And this is the last day of the pre-scheduled posts. Maybe some new crocuses soon? Tomorrow? Hope it will be warm enough in the afternoon to get the bees out.

Anyway…don’t really know why I chose to include this shot. It’s so dark. But it’s oddly compelling – the background, mostly – the shapes (and you know I’m a shape guy). And the bee. The pollen. The dark detail. The focus. Something to it.

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Tricky Light on the Sunflower

Shot this one toward the very end of the day, obviously. The available light (and it really does change through the day (blue-er/cooler in the morning vs. yellower/warmer in the evening) really amplifies (not the right word, but you do see what I’m seeing) the yellow yellow yellow. Did you see the other bumble in the background? Unlike lots of other bees, the bumbles seem to share quite well.

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The Blue Salvia is Gorgeous!

This one is such a tough plant to shoot. The stalks end up being about six feet tall…and that’s from the ground. So…”flappy” doesn’t begin to describe it. The bees just don’t hold still anyway, and with the slightest hint of a breath of a breeze, this salvia doesn’t either. “Photography with an opponent.” Opponents in this case. Good fun, though, and a great bumble on a pretty plant.

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Really Messy Shot in the Blanket Flowers

If you’ve been here a while, you know I’m a huge fan of the Blanket Flowers. As are just about every bee (and other pollinator) that I can think of. They bloom all summer and fall, and they’re very, very prolific (as evidenced by the mess in this shot). If you love pollinators, plant some. Oh, and the other great thing – they don’t require a very green thumb to thrive. Easy stuff!

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