A new bee…every day
I have so many neat pics on this flower and have posted quite a few here. But it just keeps giving. Pollen all over her face. Great wings. And you can really see the softness of the flower. Next year will be worse with the blanket flowers in the new parking strip garden. A number of new ones in there. But the bees will be happy…and if they are, that’s something.
One thing I know: bees can never, ever have too many blanket flowers. Also, I have carte blanche to buy as many as I’d like next summer as I see them. So there’s that. Who knows where they’ll go? Maybe I’ll cut another garden in the lawn dedicated just to them.
Apart from being a neat shot of a bee, this picture of the Mesa Peach shows three different phases of the blossom. You see the one in full bloom, the fuzzy one has bloomed, and the one on the right that’s out of focus (maybe I should have picked a better shot of that?) and cut off is one yet to bloom. Maybe I’ll find another to illustrate the three in better focus.
In-flight is neat, though. And it’s a great bee!
Right at your face! Look at those full, full pollen baskets. I love ’em in flight. And I love beeface.
And that Mesa Peach…keeps on giving…
Love this little bee. And the blanket flower, too. This one’s straight out of the camera from July 2019. Great detail. Enjoy!
Another fun shot on the Mesa Peach. Day has absolutely gotten away from me. Great pic. No time. Have a look at the pollen basket, though. Fantastic flower for the pollinators. Find some. Plant some. Say thanks later.
This one…won’t quit. Hunt’s bumblebee…or as I’ve christened it, the beadhead bee. Love the way it’s fur/hair looks so unkempt – always. And the blanket flowers just don’t quit. And I like the shape the bee’s making in this one. Seems to fit well with the flower – that elongated profile.
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:
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!
Not tons of action on this one this Summer that I’ve seen – which is surprising. It’s a little random/scattered/ununiform (that’s a terrible unword) because the larkspurs were blocking the light somewhat. So the blanket flower had to get a little trickier and taller. The larkspurs are gone mostly and I hope it kind of settles in again.
The bee is super. Shot yesterday. Great resolution on the eye, pollen on the face, and an archetypal pose for this one. Not sure why, but this particular species likes to raise its abdomen way up. Reminds me of those grand old American boats from the late 60s/early 70s that I saw in demolition derbies as a kid. When they got rear-ended, sometimes the whole back end would fold up at a 45 degree angle. Clearly digressing now, but maybe more than fitting – in that these guys often crash into each others back ends. More of that impoliteness. Too much nonsensical narrative. Here’s the bee:
