View allAll Photos Tagged pollinator
This is pollinator appreciation week, and in tribute to this critical ecosystem service this post celebrates the evolutionary contortions that result in some bizarre strategies to accomplish pollen dispersal.
Fairy slipper orchids (Calypso bulbosa) are widespread throughout the Northern hemisphere, occurring in cool shaded environments. They produce a single leaf in the fall that overwinters under snow, ready to photosynthesize in the early spring following snowmelt. The flowers emerge early in the summer and last only a few days before wilting. They lure pollinators by producing a scent that mimics neighboring nectar producing flowers, although this species of orchid lacks nectar.
The species is named for Calypso, a Greek nymph who lured Odysseus to her Island so he could be her husband.
Chrysotoxum bicinctum. A lovely hoverfly with a bold yellow & black abdomen and dark brown smudges on the wings. It is easily mistaken for a wasp. Seen throughout England & Wales in shrubby grassland, mostly in the south. I saw this one in Bewick, East Sussex.
#ukwildlife #pollinator
These rue anemone plants might be small, but they sure have pretty flowers! Surprisingly, rue anemone has no flower petals and what you see are pink sepals. Rue anemone is also a bit unusual in that it doesn't produce any nectar, and like the bloodroot plant that I showed yesterday, it relies on pollinators that come only for the pollen. Flower flies, also called hover flies, are one of rue anemone's main pollinators since they eat flower pollen.
A reworking of a photo I took of a Honey bee on a Lupin flower using my Canon G11 (see below in comments). I coped the original image to my iPhone5 & tweaked it using the Painteresque App. HTT!
One of the friendly butterfly weeds, Asclepias. In a "pollinators plot" at a nearby park. Morning light.
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Lovely busy bee in my garden!
Please enjoy the busy bee details in Large. Thank you so much for your visit!
Pollinating Daisies in my yard in Chester County, PA.
With all the stories about problems with honey bees, I am always very happy to see these pollinators in my yard.
2021_07_09_EOS 7D_6225-Edit_V1
The agastache plant in my backyard is popular with hummingbirds and carpenter bees, as they're the only pollinators that can access the nectar. Hummingbirds don't like to share, however, so this one probably isn't thrilled to see that bee.
A busy bee during last summer, collecting pollen whilst visiting many different flowers on its travels.
Dedicated to RHC (ILYWAMHASAM)
European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
A beautiful Spring day here today so I have been giving the garden a 'Spring Clean'
Will catch up soon.
I was able to get this photo of a busy bumblebee amidst the milkweed at the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge, June 28, 2023. Frankly, with all of the milkweed that we saw, I expected to see more of them. Is that a part of the problem with reductions in bee populations?
In the bright calm of a Florida morning, two veteran pilots drop into formation over a cluster of white blossoms. Their mission is simple, but the execution is pure precision: approach the target, secure the payload, and keep the airspace clear. The bees descend like seasoned aviators, wings humming with the steady confidence of machines built for maneuvering tight spaces and unpredictable winds.
Each bloom becomes a landing pad, each leaf a runway edge. The glossy green canopy below them reflects the soft light, turning the scene into a natural airfield where every movement matters. One bee takes the left flank, the other the right a synchronized tactical approach honed by instinct and evolution. Their bodies tilt forward, legs extended, ready to make contact with the nectar‑rich center of the flower.
There’s a quiet intensity in the moment. No roar of engines, no contrails streaking the sky, just the disciplined hum of wings and the unspoken coordination between two pilots who know their roles. In this frame, pollination becomes an aerial operation, a mission carried out with the kind of focus and finesse that would make any fighter squadron proud.
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