A honey bee and a medium sized bumble bee
It was my incredible good fortune today to find a place where the bumble bees gather. Yesterday I saw a huge one, and today I saw three on one photo shoot, and about four on another outing. I was able to get within inches of them and then I let one crawl on me! What a special treat.
Bumble bee - Taken June 28, 2011
Bumble bee in flight - Taken June 27, 2011
An amazing thing happened when I was photographing one of these beautiful creatures. A wasp, or some strange bee-looking bug, attacked my bumble bee. It was a large bumble bee and the little guy knocked her two feet away from the flower she was sipping. The bumble bee was a bit dazed, but didn't get aggressive or try to fight back. And the attacker went after her again! I didn't think twice before defending the bumble bee. I swiped the air with my arm to knock the attacker down. It worked. I cleared the air of the offending bug and the bumble bee went on merrily sipping nectar.
Bumble bee going for nectar
Bumble bee going from one flower to the next
Bumble bee diving for nectar!
This was my first time ever holding a bumble bee. It was down by my foot and looked a bit disoriented. I picked it up and it crawled on me. I'm not sure she was okay. I've seen my honey bees like this. She tried to fly but could only buzz her wings and not take flight.
I invited this bumble bee onto me ...
Bumble bee in flight
Bumble bee diving for more nectar
Bumble bee in flight
Bumble bee crawling on me by invitation!
I shot the photos of these beautiful bumble bees
below on June 28, 2011 - my 3rd day with my bees!
Wow....! It was amazing to be around this huge bumble bee. She let me get close and didn't give me a warning buzz. I love these creatures. Her sound is so loud and so powerful. There's something energizing and entirely mesmerizing about it. I stood motionless while she flew a couple of laps around me. She flew off, and and came back, a couple of times. It was truly magnificent.
Bumble Bee - Taken June 26, 2011
Taken June 26, 2011
Check out this fur coat! She also looks like she has an injury doesn't she?
RSS Feed
