Wednesday 30 September 2015

My Last Bumblebee Bothering of the Year

I'm off work at the moment, and thus spending a lot of time being able to wander around and point my mobile phone camera at anything that catches me eye. Whether it wants to be photographed or not.

I suppose this is the dilemma of the low rent nature photographer like myself, who has absolutely no equipment whatsoever. Not for me the huge long lenses I see advertised in my RSPB magazine, to be worn by proper naturalists in expensive breathables. No, for me it is Tresspass, a T shirt and a mobile phone. I have to be close.

Witness this queen tree bumblebee, probably that last one I shall see all year. It was energetically making its way up the lavender flowers still in bloom in the library park, and showing no irritation at all with the giant creature waving an enormous flashing tombstone in its antennae. If you were someone engaged in a desperate struggle to stock up on calories for hibernation, how would you react to having a giant squid's eye rammed into your face as you went about your business?

"Oh bloody hell, here comes that pratt in the sunnies again, waggling his rubbish phone right in my face while I'm trying to eat. I've got a winter to survive, he looks well padded enough to not need to worry about the colder months! Sheesh, I've just banged my proboscis on that thing! Will he ever just leave me alone?"

Hopefully, there are worse nuisances than me around.

Si





8 comments:

  1. But the life of the bumblebee would be easy if you were their worse nuisance! Nice shots. ;-)

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  2. Great photos.. I think the bees in my garden must get fed up of having a camera in their faces all the time.. :o)

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  3. lol, great write up, Si. I think it’s safe to say it’s a niche market where "expensive breathables" are the aspirational item of clothing ;-)

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  4. True. I'm hardly a giant mite riding on their backs! As ever, thanks truly for dropping in and saying hello to my bumbles!

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  5. Great post Simon and lovely to see the Tree Bumble :) A few Common Carder bees around here still and saw a huge Bumble Queen last week trying to get in the car!

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  6. Lovely photos! I too wish you were the worst nuisance of the bumblebees. Not to mention the environmental problems, I have seen too many children that weren't taught by their parents to respect these wonderful little critters.

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  7. He is a beaut Si - maybe he was flattered that you were there because he is certainly showing off his beautiful colours against the blue of that flower.

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  8. I admit to just tinkering with the photos a little...usually sharpen and up the saturation a little bit now I've got pixlr

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