Every Day, Something New

Today I learned a new thing about milkweed.  Instead of producing loose pollen like almost every other flower on the planet (except orchids), milkweed produces a waxy mass of pollen in a sac called a pollinia. When an insect like this female Eastern Carpenter Bee puts a foot into one of the tiny stigmatic chambers of the flower, the pollinia sticks to its foot and is then carried to another flower - pollination.  I can't believe that I have never learned this before now - nor that I never photographed a bee with the pollinia all over its feet before.  Honestly, I had to post this image to an entomology group to determine if this was some sort of parasite or what. I'm now going to be looking closer at the various pollinators who visit my milkweed. And if you want to enjoy a trip down the geeky rabbit hole of pollinia on milkweed, click HERE for an interesting read.

I have not spent a lot of time outside today owing to the heat and increased humidity.  Not to mention the ever-present pollen that is giving me fits at the moment.  Even Jax hasn't wanted to be outside much - too hot.  Instead, I contented myself with short sorties outside and longer stays inside doing this and that.  And I checked on the nest boxes from a distance just to make sure food was being delivered - happy to say that wrens and swallows are being well fed and chirping in a very lively way when food is delivered.  

Tomorrow morning a local photographer friend is coming over to shoot woodpeckers and hummingbirds (and whatever else catches our attention) for a couple of hours before it gets too hot.  Should be fun.

I stocked up on some dark chocolate today but haven't dipped into any of it yet.  Soon...

xo
Debbi