132/365 bee in bloom

228-365 collecting pollen

145-365 big bee

It was SO hard to shoot this bee, as it was breezy, so the flowers weren't still and he didn't stay put for long at all. By the time I could focus, he'd be gone to the next flower. He was absolutely huge and I just kept focusing and shooting, hoping for a halfway decent shot. This was the best of the batch, even though he's still not clear.

coneflowers, bees, and butterflies

My neighbor's amazing coneflowers. While you can't see them, there are about 42,061 bees of assorted varieties and sizes flying around. They're scavenging for whatever pollen can be found, which is limited, based upon their hyper dash-and-fly activity.







The point of this shoot was the butterfly I saw alight as I drove past. I quickly parked the van, grabbed the camera, and headed next door.



Turns out there were two butterflies. But in an effort to taunt me, they perched upon flowers that were a bit out of reach.




As I leaned out over the bee-covered coneflowers, it occurred to me that I am normally very, um, nervous around bees. Yet here I was, so focused on my butterfly shot, that I was willing to place myself right in their midst. Since their mere presence wasn't causing me to freak out, they began to bump into me in their pollen hunting frenzy. The result? I jumped back, mid-shot. And got this beauty.


Silly bees.

morning droplets

Apparently bees sleep on the bottom of plants and flowers when it's cold and damp. There were many, but this was the only clear (somewhat) shot I got.