The Flight of the Carpenter Bee

One of my favorites arrivals of spring are the Eastern Carpenter Bees (Xylocopa virginica)  so I was pretty happy when I found a group of males doing their courtship flights.  Females have colonized a part of our storage shed (they aren't in numbers that would create significant damage so no action needed) and when they emerge in the spring, the males are ready and waiting.  I've found that I can sit quite close without causing them any distress at all, so focused are they the females.  So I hunkered down, set my FPS to 20, used bird-eye auto focus and enjoyed myself trying to capture the males in flight.  I didn't see even one female, but that's pretty normal this early.


Males are easily distinguished by the white patch on their face, which is lacking on the females.  And although they will bump into me sometimes, they are (like all male bees and wasps) incapable of stinging, so I never worry.  As a species, X. Virginica are not at all aggressive although their size can be intimidating to anyone uncomfortable with bees and wasps.


It felt really good to be out photographing insects after a long, cold winter.  They rank among my favorite things to photograph (along with dogs, birds, mammals, reptiles...etc).  


I had a very good yoga practice this morning, the weather is beautiful and sunny, and my state of mind is definitely better than it was yesterday.  Being able to spend time outside is such a help for managing my mental health.  And it didn't hurt that I avoided the news this morning.  The week ahead is going to be very nice with temps in the 60's and 70's so I plan to be out as much as possible.  


xoxo
Debbi