Not to Bee

In among all the bees in the cherry trees, I spotted this little Bee Fly.  I then proceeded to chase it all over the yard and garden, taking one awful shot after another.  It has been several years since I've seen one of these diminutive bee mimics - they have a very short flight time each spring usually only a month-ish, so one needs to be quick.  Like many flies, they are parasitic in that they deposit their eggs in sandy soil, leaving the eggs to hatch and the subsequent larva to crawl around and find a "host" to feed on (commonly solitary ground nesting bees such as mining bees).  Of course, the host eventually dies but the bee fly is ready to take flight by then.  Gruesome but also quite interesting.  The Bee Fly family is large with over 5,000 species worldwide.

Anyway, I finally chased the bee fly back to the cherry tree where I was able to get some decent shots, this being my favorite.  

I was also happy to see more bumble bees showing up today, as well as still more tiny bees and even some longhorn bees.  Not everyone will understand how much I enjoy the steady buzz of bees as I stand next to the flower-laden branches of the the cherry trees in our yard.  I find it strangely calming, whereas my hubs equates all those bees to his worst nightmare!  Anyway, I enjoyed some major zen time out there with the bees today.  

Jax also spent time outside, pottering around the yard and laying on his bed on the deck until he decided it was too hot and he wanted to go in.  Actually it was perfect today - low 60's and brilliantly sunny.  The whole week is supposed to be nice so I envision lots of outdoor time and maybe even the first paddle of the year!

Dark, plain and simple, today.

xo
Debbi