Carpenter Bee

Identification - Xylocopa virginica, eastern carpenter bee.

I thought I had more images of this bee, but I checked my folders and found only one other image. I did lose a few months images when I was changing filing systems, which I was very angry about and embarrassed, as I think this is the first time I have mentioned it. Fortunately from my Olympus days, so they weren't very good anyway.

I managed three keepers of this bee. The other two showed the head more, but I really liked this in-flight shot.

Today's session was taken at 'the grove', an old hunting ground of mine, the only place that I see this bee. It is very difficult to photograph because it spends no more than a second at each flower head.

As I was photographing the bees, a delias butterfly landed right in front of me. I actually had to move back a foot to get it all in the viewfinder. I did get one good shot, but still the bee won the day. Other shots were a large spider, cuckoo bee and an orange plant hopper, so not a bad day.

Dave