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Tuesday 12 February 2013

Bees in flight

I found this album that I'd forgotten about from last year. Every time I managed a halfway reasonable photo of a bee in flight I uploaded the photo to this album as most of my bee pics in flight are just total blurs that get deleted!

I can't say I was actually aiming to try to shoot bees whilst flying but most of these are ones where I was trying to photograph either a bee on a flower, or something else, and the bee took off or came into land just at the moment of taking the shot.

This is certainly the best of a bad bunch so I thought I would share here as hopefully this year I may have some better ones - I might even actually try to take a bee in flight on purpose!

(The reason for posting this now is because if you want real life reports on what's happening at Chateau Moorhen, it would be all about mud, rain and more mud, and I can't even take a photo of the mud because of the rain!)

Honey bee and a Cranesbill Geranium


Bumble bee flying towards a Foxglove


Honey bee and Raspberry flowers


Honey bee and Oregano flowers


Carpenter bee (Xylocopa violacea) and Lavender


Red Soldier beetle on Phacelia with a bumble bee coming in to land


Bumble bee with pretty colours leaving a Cornflower


Shame I didn't get this in focus but it is not surprising!
Lift off for this bumble bee leaving a Marigold.

15 comments:

  1. That last bee looks like it's looking at the camera...............
    :-) A Nonny Mouse

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  2. One lovely collection of images Mandy

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  3. Thanks very much Nonny Mouse and Dusty!
    Nonny - I can see a face now you mention it! :-)

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  4. When I saw the title of this post I thought you'd seen bees flying around already this year! I was about to get even more jealous and grumpy than I was about your purple sprouting broccoli (I knew I'd miss it if I didn't plant any). Now I see these are last year's bees I can enjoy all your lovely photos without getting even a tiny bit grumpy!

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    1. haha so sorry Rachel! I have actually seen one honeybee which was hovering at the window - think it wanted to come into the warm! Thanks very much. Haven't harvested the PSB just yet because I wanted it to sprout a bit more, but soon. :-)

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  5. Lovely photos, really gave me a buzz!

    Philippa

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  6. So summery! Makes me want the time to go quickly but then we would miss spring.
    Ta for the comment and follow on my blog x

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    1. Thanks spitaldyke! We certainly don't want to miss spring but the bees should be back in spring anyway - not long to go now! :-)

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  7. collected together it makes for a satisfying collection of In Flight bees.

    You might find my plants at a nursery down South geared to the Mediterranean climate, but then I suppose it wouldn't enjoy your winter?

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    1. Thanks very much Diana! I replied regarding the Bulbine on your blog, I now know where it is available but it's not hardy enough for here.

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  8. I have much difficulties with carpenter bees. Yours does not seem as big.
    I don't dislike the blur flying bees....

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    1. Hi Cergie! They are big, but I think this shot makes it look small because it is a very big lavender plant and it is taken from a distance. I find these Carpenter bees really hard to photograph as I want to catch the blue in their wings, so this is probably the best I have so far.

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  9. I miss these little ones in the garden. I can't wait to see them in the spring. You have captured them beautifully and in flight...so lovely.

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    1. Thanks very much Michelle - great excitement this morning as I saw my first bumble bee and a couple of honey bees! Was very brief as the sun was shining and the weather mild, but we have colder weather coming. Still these little signs of spring are wonderful to see.

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