Tree peony, and honeybees
It's good to be back home, to have a camera in my hands, and to be back in the garden. Today was warm...much more so than usual. It was into the 80's by the afternoon, so we were able to open up the house this evening, and let the cooler evening air flow in. I do love this time of year!
An afternoon in the garden yielded transplanted strawberries, the death of a number of snails, and quite a few photographs, including the ones you see above. As I returned to the house around 7:00 p.m., I brushed aside the clip to my hat, which had been bothering me all afternoon. Unfortunately, I also brushed aside a bee that had been happily sitting on my bright spring green shirt, probably wondering why there was no pollen or nectar to be gathered there. I got a sting on the neck for my trouble, but of course, for the poor bee, it was a lethal encounter. Okay, it kind of committed suicide, but I still feel bad when a honeybee dies because it stings me. There is no other outcome. Wasps, hornets, etc...they survive the encounter...but not honeybees. And as so many hives have had so many problems (varroa mites, hive collapse, etc.), the loss of a single bee, even if it wasn't my idea, seems a loss to our world. It is certainly a loss to my garden.
The other pollinator I show above is, I believe, a swallowtail butterfly...but I don't know my butterflies that well. Does anyone out there know if I've identified it correctly? If not, please let me know...I'll be happy to correct the label!
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