bee

Busy Bees

/ Rebecca / 21 Comments

Earlier this summer, as I was out walking, I heard a persistent buzzing sound I hadn’t noticed before. Curious, I looked around and discovered a hive of busy bees tucked behind vines inside a hollowed-out tree trunk beside the road, each one diligently working away.

“The hum of bees is the voice of the garden.”  ~Elizabeth Lawrence

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Throughout the summer, it was encouraging to see various types of bees diligently transferring pollen from flower to flower.

“For so work the honey bees, creatures that by a rule in nature teach the act of order to a peopled kingdom.” ~William Shakespeare

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I believe this was my favorite—the American Bumble Bee (Bombus pensylvanicus). Such a beauty! It plays an important role in pollinating many different plants.

The careful insect ‘midst his works I view,
Now from the flowers exhaust the fragrant dew,
With golden treasures load his little thighs,
And steer his distant journey through the skies.
~John Gay, Rural Sports (canto I, I. 82)

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This year, morning glories blossomed along my fence, and it was fascinating to observe the bees as they slept—with their heads tucked inside the flower blossoms and their tiny bottoms sticking out. When the flowers opened in the morning, the bees busily buzzed about, gathering nectar and pollen.

… Why are you so busy, pray?
Never still a minute,
hovering now above a flower.
Now half-buried in it!
by Julia Dorr

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“It is not how busy you are, but why you are busy – the bee is praised, the mosquito is swatted. ~Author Unknown

Nature’s Wonders

/ Rebecca / 17 Comments

Purple Dead Nettles, with their pink tube-like flowers and burgundy upper leaves, were blooming along the Mississippi levee.  Various types of bees were flying about among the wildflowers, attracted by their nectar.

Beautiful little Clouded Yellow Butterflies danced about over the wildflowers, with an occasional courting pair fluttering together in the air.  The butterflies seemed too lively to stop and drink from the flowers.

This busy little bee, on the other hand, was sampling each little flower.

While watching the bees and butterflies, out of nowhere, a group of six eagles consisting of at least one adult and several juveniles, came swooping in from overhead. Their loud screeching and erratic flying stirred up quite a commotion.    

After the eagles settled in nearby trees,

we started down the embankment of the levee to drive along some of the farmland back roads.  Then we saw them.  A group of Clouded Yellow Butterflies were sitting in the middle of the road, extracting salt and minerals from an area of sand and rocks.

They were a beautiful sight to watch!

“Nature is full of wonders; every atom is a standing miracle, and endowed with such qualities, as could not be impressed on it by a power and wisdom less than infinite.” ~Joseph Addison

Nature’s Background Sounds

/ Rebecca / 15 Comments

With the arrival of cooler autumn weather, the familiar chirps, rattles, ticks, clicks and buzzes of the insects have grown quiet.  For some, the sound lacked harmony, but for others, it struck a peaceful chord.

“Music is in all growing things;
And underneath the silky wings
Of smallest insects there is stirred
A pulse of air that must be heard;
Earth’s silence lives, and throbs, and sings.”
~George Parsons Lathrop

Shades of Brown

/ Rebecca / 9 Comments

Various shades of brown can be found in nature’s palette. These earthy hues provide a richness and warmth that can be soothing to the soul.

“Nature gives to every time and season unique beauty; from morning to night, as from the cradle to the grave, it’s just a succession of changes so soft and comfortable that we hardly notice the progress.” ~ Charles Dickens

A Patch of Mistflower

/ Rebecca / 16 Comments

Mistflower, with its bluish-purple heads, brighten up the autumn landscape and attract a variety of insects which feed on nectar and pollen.

“I loved autumn, the one season of the year that God seemed to have put there just for the beauty of it.” ~Lee Maynard

Roadside Beauties

/ Rebecca / 12 Comments

The ditches running beside the country roads are sprinkled with a variety of seasonal flowers. Though often overlooked, they add beauty, color and texture to the landscape for all to enjoy.

Fiery red Cardinal flowers …

… growing together with showy pink clusters of milkweed.

Ironweed’s deep purple blooms …

… surrounded by a variety of other late summer beauties.

“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.” ~Frances Hodgson Burnett

Insects on Bur Marigold

/ Rebecca / 4 Comments

Bur marigold attracts many insects which enjoy the nectar and pollen from their flowers.  The beautiful yellow flower heads can be seen in September and October growing in sunny or partially shady wet areas.

“For observing nature, the best pace is a snail’s pace.” ~Edwin Way Teale

Winged things

/ Rebecca / 10 Comments

A few of the “winged things” that I have taken photos of during the summer.

“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”  ~Leonardo da Vinci