Gathering pollen

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Gathering pollen

August 11, 2017 by Mike Powell

How much pollen can a bee transport at one time? As it circled the inside of a sunflower, this bee filled the pollen baskets on its hind legs with so much bright yellow pollen that I was afraid it would not be able to lift off and fly away. In addition to the very full pollen baskets, which looked like cotton candy to me, the bee was virtually covered with grains of pollen. My fears proved to be unfounded, and the overladen bee was able to carry away its golden treasure.

I think this bee is a bumblebee, though I am no expert on the subject of bees. According to Wikipedia, certain species of bees, including bumblebees and honeybees, have pollen baskets (also known as corbiculae) that are used to harvest pollen. Other bee species have scopae (Latin for “brooms”), which are usually just a mass of hair on the hind legs that are used to transport pollen.

Posted in Bees, Flowers, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography | Tagged bee, bumblebee, Canon 50D, McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area, pollen, Poolesville MD, sunflower, Tamron 180mm | 12 Comments

12 Responses

on August 11, 2017 at 9:10 am | Reply Reema

Awesome click! You have captured the Pollen Basket so well!! This is one of the best photographs I have ever come across!! Loved the post!! I find bees very amusing. Thanks for sharing Mike!
- on August 13, 2017 at 8:11 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  I love watching bees and they get so involved in collecting pollen that I sometimes can get pretty close to them.
  - on August 14, 2017 at 12:36 am Reema
    
    Wow!
on August 11, 2017 at 9:47 am | Reply Jet Eliot

An incredible display, what a bonanza for this bee…and us. Thank you Mike.
on August 12, 2017 at 2:44 am | Reply uthamz

Lucky bee ! 🙂 !
Well captured , Mike !

utham
- on August 12, 2017 at 6:38 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. I love to watch bees as they “work.” This one seemed almost intoxicated by the large amounts of pollen.
on August 20, 2017 at 10:07 pm | Reply exploringcolour

Mike, I’ve squirreled away a copy of this photo as I’m planning a future post on “black and yellow” and, you guessed it, I’d love to include this photo! And I love your first paragraph too! So can I use both together, with my usual acknowledgements back to you, this post, and your blog home, please (?)
- on August 21, 2017 at 4:24 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks for asking. You are welcome to use the blog posting and the photo. As I have noted before, I really your focus on colors. I tend to focus on details, using both a macro and a telephoto lens, and color tends to be a somewhat secondary consideration for me.
  - on August 24, 2017 at 12:50 am exploringcolour
    
    Hi Mike! The post on “black and yellow” is now online at https://exploringcolour.wordpress.com/2017/08/24/i-see-black-and-yellow/ Thanks for allowing me to use your photo and text and I do hope you will visit.
  - on August 24, 2017 at 6:26 am Mike Powell
    
    Thanks for the update. I am amazed by how quickly you move from conceptualization of an idea to its execution.
  - on August 24, 2017 at 6:27 am exploringcolour
    
    Cheers Mike. I was particularly enthusiastic about this one and it came together very nicely 🙂
on August 24, 2017 at 12:37 am | Reply I see… Black and Yellow – Exploring Colour

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