This one isn’t a native, but from the UK, I think. Really aggressive, territorial little thing. And…as they might say in the UK, rather randy. And annoying. That said, it’s a beautiful bee. Not much to not like about its aesthetics. Great look at the eye today. And the background really makes this shot interesting. Nice feel to it.
Tag: non-native
Another Wool Carder – but in the Agastache
This is a nasty little bee – territorial, bellicose, and beyond promiscuous (even in cross-species and cross-gender ways). But…it’s one of my favorite bees to photograph. Maybe because the eye is so neat. I like this profile especially. And those wings are wrecked! Fun pic today.
And tomorrow…!!! Tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of the site. Big plans so be sure to check in. Pretty pleased that I’ve been able to keep it going for a year. Traffic is still low. So…please share the link to this place with those whom you think might enjoy.
Wool Carder Bee in the Hens and Chicks
This shot is probably a lot less about the bee and more about the beauty and complexity of the hens & chicks blossoming. Apparently, aficionados aren’t all that fond of the blooms – they tend to like the rosettes better and often see the blooms as an annoyance. But…the leafcutters especially like them – notsomuch the honeybees, but there are pollinators on them when they do bloom. And I’m a big fan. Really like the shapes they make.
Wool Carder Bee In-flight over the Hens and Chicks
This one’s from late July of 2020. Really busy shot, but lots of neat colors. And I really like the hens & chicks blossoms. And when they fade, their stalks and dried-up flowers leave really great shapes in the gardens.
The honeybees don’t seem too interested in the hens & chicks, but the wool carder bees and the leafcutters do battle over their pollen and nectar. Rough to get good shots of them, though. They’re really fast and they don’t stay in once place for very long.
Back-end up Bee at the Ogden (Utah) Botanical Gardens
This might be a better illustration of what I described a couple of days ago. Pollenbutt, too.
Yesterday, on the way back from errands, I stopped at the Ogden Botanical Gardens to shoot some bees. Really like the place. While there is a skeleton full-time staff directing the enterprise, much of the work on the upkeep is done by volunteers.
The other neat thing about it is that it’s free – and open from sunup to sunset. In my travels, I often look for municipal/public gardens. Normally, there’s a cost to enter – and lately, with the covids, you have to make an appointment to enter. Not so here. If you’re in the Ogden area, a visit is worth the time. You’ll be well rewarded.
Mesa Peach back at it!
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:
Bee 088 – Not Sure on a Not Sure
The plant is some succulent that dried out. Looks like it’s in a Semp bed. Might be a Semp that kicked the bucket from over-watering or bloomed itself out. And the bee…from the Rude family for sure (invasive), but not sure which species. Love the eyes on them. So neat.
Bee 083 – Another Rude One
Here’s another variety of the rude, crash-into-everyone, mate-with-everyone bees. This particular variety seems exceptionally fond of the Semp blossoms. They’re small, thick, and fast. And they don’t stay on the flowers for very long. Invasive and rude. But I kinda like them anyway. Hard not to admire their hubris and bullet-proof sense that they have about them. I’m clearly mapping human qualities onto them, but…it’s what we do.