Again on the Mesa Peach

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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!

A Few on the Asters

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Usually I post close-ups here, but today I wanted to show the riotousness of the autumn asters. So much going on right now. Jodybees (that’s how our beekeeper friend is saved in my phone) harvested honey a few weeks ago…and I think the little ones are scrambling to reload for winter. Today will be the last day in the 80s with 60s in the cards for the rest of the month. They’re hard at work on the myriad asters, sages, salvias, mums, and whateverelse is still in bloom. Oh, there are still iris firing, by the way. Some are the double bloomers – and some seem to be confused ;). Enjoy!

Hangin’ on the Salvia

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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.

A Bit Backlit on the Salvia

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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?

Tucked into the California Poppy

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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…

Green Metallic (sweat?) on the Asters

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Been a while since I’ve seen one of these. Shot maybe twenty and only hit one in focus. Fast little one not staying long on any blossom. One of the neatest looking bees in the garden in my opinion. I like the green with the other colors in the shot. Very good detail on the bee today – even the eyes.

Pollenface in the Lavender

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The lavender is still kicking. Getting a little ratty, but the bees are still all over it. Looking like the weather for October might stay okay for bees, too, through the rest of the month. I’m glad.

Love this one’s face – all that pollen – and note the pollen on her back. She’d been somewhere else just before. Great eye and tongue, too.

By the way, this one I shot yesterday. That’s generally the way it is during “bee season” unless I say otherwise (or I’m traveling). Kinda neat, those fresh bees.

A Russian(?) on Rozanne the Geranium

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I think this dark one may be a Russian Honeybee – or at least have some Russian in it. They tend to be darker than the golden European ones. Guess they mix them sometimes, too, for heartiness. Tough to shoot bees on this geranium because the good stuff is deep inside. So there’s not much of an opportunity to get their faces when they’re working. Note the shadows of the anthers on the petals. Neat.