YogiTom
Well-known member
Somewhat of a cheeky take on the old adage that you will be happier in life if you “take time to smell the roses”. But, in my line of work, sticking your snozz into a flower before looking isn’t the best idea.
That said, when I sit and observe the activity around the patches of native California flowers I have growing at home and at work, I’m always so thrilled because I’m likely to see something new.
Today, I observed no less than six unique species of native bees (two bumblebee species, a few carpenter bees, a long-horned bee, and two species of sweat bees), not to mention honeybees and wasps, all going crazy over a patch of Lacy phacelia we have planted along the driveway.
The last two natives, the sweat bees, are real treats for me because they are so hard to capture on film or even see sometimes. The common ones are skittish, which makes sense given they are only a few millimeters in length, and the ultra-greens I saw today were a first for me!
View attachment 118844
This first photo is of a female Agapostemon texanum (Ultra-Green Sweat Bee) taking off from some of the aforementioned Lacy phacelia. The photo doesn’t do justice the beautiful jewel-like coloring she had!
View attachment 118845
The second photo here is of an unknown Halictus spp. (common Sweat Bee), and was the first time I got so close before one flew off!
Both shot on an iPhone X with no zoom or filter added.
Just wanted to share the good feelings of seeing so many native pollinators thriving in my own backyard, and to encourage everyone to stop and observe some wildflowers the next chance they get. You’ll be surprised at the amount of life that a few flowers can support if you just stop to look!
That said, when I sit and observe the activity around the patches of native California flowers I have growing at home and at work, I’m always so thrilled because I’m likely to see something new.
Today, I observed no less than six unique species of native bees (two bumblebee species, a few carpenter bees, a long-horned bee, and two species of sweat bees), not to mention honeybees and wasps, all going crazy over a patch of Lacy phacelia we have planted along the driveway.
The last two natives, the sweat bees, are real treats for me because they are so hard to capture on film or even see sometimes. The common ones are skittish, which makes sense given they are only a few millimeters in length, and the ultra-greens I saw today were a first for me!
View attachment 118844
This first photo is of a female Agapostemon texanum (Ultra-Green Sweat Bee) taking off from some of the aforementioned Lacy phacelia. The photo doesn’t do justice the beautiful jewel-like coloring she had!
View attachment 118845
The second photo here is of an unknown Halictus spp. (common Sweat Bee), and was the first time I got so close before one flew off!
Both shot on an iPhone X with no zoom or filter added.
Just wanted to share the good feelings of seeing so many native pollinators thriving in my own backyard, and to encourage everyone to stop and observe some wildflowers the next chance they get. You’ll be surprised at the amount of life that a few flowers can support if you just stop to look!
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