So, continued from yesterday:
The temperature here in southwest Missouri has been quite hot and humid lately -- typical, so I'm told. So if we want to do anything outdoors, the early morning or late evening are the best times.
This morning my mom called to tell me that the morning sun was shining brightly on her sunflowers and did I want to take advantage of the photo op. Absolutely! I left a hot cup of coffee and grabbed my camera. I knew just by walking out the door that this was going to be another hot, humid day. But I made the short walk to Mom's (2 doors down). The sunflowers were, indeed, glowing in the morning sun. Here is a preview of the photos I took:
However, I am going to digress from the sunflowers and save other images of them for later.
The beautiful Rose of Sharon bushes grabbed my attention: one white and one pink. As I started taking closeups I heard the (dreaded) droning of bees. I fear bees due to an allergy to their sting, but these were "Bumble Bees" and far too busy gathering pollen to pay much attention to me, no matter how much adrenalin was streaming from my pores. So I started snapping the shutter as close as I dared, ever grateful that I bought the macro lens with the greater focal length. Working under panic was well worth it and I hope you agree when you see the photos below:
This fellow has been quite busy already. He is so coated in pollen he can barely fly!
Here he is grabbing onto the petal and his weight is so great the petal kept giving way and the bee was barely able to right himself.
And away he goes to the next blossom....
It appears that he has spotted me, but continues with his appointed rounds.
The Rose of Sharon is a gold mine of pollen!
It appears that this guy just started his day --- he is way to clean.... for now!
I took many more pictures of the bees and flowers. It's been awhile since I added to my Flickr album so I will be putting more of these photos on there today. Just click on the Flickr icon to the right for more buzziness!
5 comments:
Such awesome pictures! So pretty. I have some giant sunflower pictures in my garden to go take pictures of as well, but it's too darn HOT right now.
When my family went to Branson last week, we checked out Branson Landing. I hadn't been there yet, and your blog about the fountains made me want to go especially. I made sure we were there at noon, so we could see the show, and darn it! The fountains were closed for maintaince. I'll have to try again sometime. :)
Thanks for your comments on my blog, I am always checking your blog. You are on my "Blogs I Follow" list. Great images, especially where the bee is in flight. Keep up the great work! I wish I could find a job that let me just wander the country taking photographs of people, places and things... guess I'll keep looking. Right now I work in a Jail, now thats a different world.
Love your photos Barb, mr. bee looks like a pollen powder puff... so cute!
My Hibiscus at the front of the house is still in full bloom beckoning the bees to drop on in for some sweet stuff.
Great photos, I enjoyed.
The bees are fabulous and I *love* the sunflower!
That first shot of the bee is so freaky deaky funny. I can see him struggling to fly, sort of like a drunk trying to walk. As always great shots
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