Category: Honeybee

Snapdragon!

My neighbor across the street showed me an array of ten or eleven of my hexagons on her wall in her kitchen…and mentioned that there’s room to add more. I told her that she should have one from her gardens. So I shot for a few minutes in the lousy, late afternoon light. They were in the snapdragons.

One of the more interesting things about this picture is that you can see the two wings on the right side really clearly. The Longer one is the front one and I’ve never seen them hanging like this – or if I have, I’ve not noticed. I’m not sure I got any wall-worthy ones yesterday, but maybe I’ll have another look there today. A bit cloudy which would make for better shots.

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In Flight and in the Wind

Really windy yesterday while I was trying to shoot. So I didn’t spend much time with it. Caught this one in flight, though. Everything seems to be fading. Still 70 degrees, though, today (I hope). So another day, at least, of warmish weather.

Next weekend (Fri-Sun), I’ll be in Centennial, Colorado at the Holiday Art Market. Stop by if you are in the area to see some of these critters in better detail. Neat art.

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Parking Strip Payoff

Another Mesa Peach. Actually several in the new parking strip garden. Finally saw bees on the blanket flowers there yesterday. Not the best shot – not the best light – but very cool that these decided to bloom this fall. And the bees decided to show up. It’s going to be magnificent in a couple of years. Full of irises. Wish the bees thought more of those blooms. Here’s today’s:

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Notsostellar in the Lavender

So very busy yesterday that I only made three minutes (according to the data from the camera) to shoot. Feeling bad about that and not so great about the shot. Good enough, I guess – and I really value posting fresh stuff. The winter will be long. Or will seem long. Pretty little one on the lavender that looks better than I’d thought originally.

Something else: if you’re somehow roped into destroying rather than creating – breaking rather than building – you’d better have a stinkin’ good reason for it. And had better not make it a habit.

/end sermon

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Up on the Agastache

Almost thirty degrees difference in the daytime high from yesterday and the day before. So…the bees were a little reluctant to come out. Only saw a couple yesterday and didn’t shoot. I expect a bit better today.

Here’s one from last month on the agastache up in the “north forty”. Neat shot of the flower and the bee and the background on the upper right side is neat, too. This one might be worth printing. Great colors, too.

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Again on the Mesa Peach

Have several new Mesa Peaches blooming now in the new garden in the parking strip. Sadly, no bees on them yet. But the mature one just keeps giving. Love the pollen basket on this one today. Also some new cone flowers in the parking strip. Saw a honeybee on one yesterday, but didn’t have my camera.

And the best laid plans…was going to shoot a lot yesterday but only managed ten or so minutes. Rained overnight and the temp dropped about 25 degrees so I’m not too hopeful about bees for today. Anyway, this is a good one!

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Hangin’ on the Salvia

One of those that keeps on going all through the summer and into the fall. Pretty drought tolerant, too. Just hearty. Love the different shades that show up on them, too. Blues to pinks to purples and everything in between. This one looks like she’s saluting. Also get a good look at the hairs on her back leg used for storing pollen. If she’s got hairy back legs, she’s a bee (called a pollen basket – or corbicula). Good way to differentiate between bees and wasps.

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A Bit Backlit on the Salvia

Been shooting in the late afternoon some this week trying to get some backlit shots in which the body transluces. Not having the best of success and that effect really didn’t come off on this one – but it’s a nice shot in its own right. I especially like the detail on the eye and the tongue.

The salvia is fading now…getting late in the season. Thinking hard about year-round bees. Maybe a trip to the almond orchards in the winter to visit?

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Tucked into the California Poppy

Dang. These pictures look so much better at full resolution.

Love the pollen bucket, the pollen all over, and the grains on her eye. They don’t stay on the poppies very long, and the slightest breeze and they’re all over the place. Tough to get an in-focus shot like this. Love this flower, too. Has prettymuch taken over part of a rock garden late in the season. Silly thing opens late and closes early. Anyway…

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