bees – adesertviewwithstace

Bee Cause

February 23, 2017Posted in pdr, the lighter sideTagged arizona bees, bees, desert bees, endangered bees, flowers and bees, flying bees, honey, yellow flowers and beesLeave a comment

If you play along and are one of those who read my madness on a regular basis, you already know all of my photographs are taken on my iPad mini. Getting a shot of a bee flying means I am up close and personal. I am not using a high-powered zoom from a yard away.

This limitation has allowed me to learn how to relax and be in the moment. To take such intimate pictures I, at the very minimum, must be tolerated in the bees’ space or I will get hurt. Plain and simple. To be honest, I am more afraid of the hummingbirds. Thank goodness they don’t have stingers! I was dive bombed by a seriously angry hummingbird trying to get this shot.

The bees I watch have no time nor patience to be bothered by anything. Flowers are in bloom now. Period. They don’t seem to want to share flowers either. I have witnessed midair buzzes, heated discussions on the matter. Basically, its get your own flower.

And again, if you have been playing along you also know I claim to be nothing more than Desert. I am not the bee expert nor am I trying to be here. I cannot name these particular bees nor am I going to give lectures on them.

I love honey as much as Winnie the Pooh. It’s that simple. Bees are valuable, endangered and get a bad, reputation.

Did you know:

A honey bee dies after it stings.

My purpose has always been to take everyone to the desert with me. To share with anyone who wants to see, hear about or experience the amazing Arizona desert that bumps up against the Superstition Mountain.

This desert is not always brown and dry. We have seasons. When it rains, we bloom. Overnight flowers pop up. The temperatures have been in the upper 60’s to 70’s with mild winds. I giggled when I almost fell over trying to capture a bee flying into a lightly blowing flower.

I must move slowly. I have to relax and not send off crazy energy at this tiny flying creature. Can you imagine Godzilla hovering over your every move shoving a huge black square towards you? Yes, keep that image of me.

Respect is what I believe allows me to stand there unharmed. Time and again the bees have ignored my presence and worked as if nothing else mattered. Taking these types of photos does not happen in one or two shots…I’m there for a while.

I don’t swat at them or move them or the flowers. I am just there. It’s a form of meditation. I follow the flight. The focus. The persistence. The knowing if you just keep searching there is more out there to find, gather and store.

rollin’ around good

November 28, 2016November 28, 2016Posted in UncategorizedTagged arizona bees, bee eating, bee in a flower, bees, desert bees, desert flowersLeave a comment

perspective

November 19, 2016Posted in the lighter sideTagged arizona flowers, bees, bird of paradise, Desert, desert flowers, humming birds, purple flowersLeave a comment

Apparently, it’s possible to piss off a hummingbird. I’m guessing little bird complex.

There are two hummingbirds I see regularly. One has red on its chest or throat. The other is more of a green. Their feathers are iridescent. Really, they are pretty birds, but as you all know I use an iPad mini so I have no shot at getting a good close up. I don’t even try.

I have been waiting for our bird of paradise bush to bloom in hopes of a good picture. It’s right by the living room window so I keep a pretty close eye on it. This time of year here in the desert random plants are blooming because the weather change has been so drastic.

Yesterday morning the bush seemed to be covered in new orange blooms. The little tube like flowers wilt easily and have a very short shelf life. Something hummingbirds are aware of also. As with everything in life, it’s all about timing. I needed to get out there quickly.

I’m frozen and wearing my oversized white fluffy robe so I need to change before I go out. With an expected high only in the 70’s, the morning was cold for a desert kid like me but I’m pretty sure I don’t need to hover over this poor plant looking like the abominal snow man so I go and change.

The red hummingbird has beaten me to the bush. I hear the hum as I step closer.

As expected, due to this weather snap, it’s slim pickin’s already for me to find blooms that haven’t started showing signs of stress. Red however is having absolutely no problem locating happy orange tubes to insert it’s face into.

Not that long ago after the last good rain, our purple flowers bloomed and were immediately covered in desperate bees stocking up. I was able to stick my arms into these bushes holding an iPad without one sting. It was busy and bustling but as long as everyone stayed out of each other’s way lots of work was getting done. I took some amazing pictures that day.

Apparently, hummingbirds aren’t as cooperative. I can guarantee you Reds not.

Not concerned in any way for my safety, I lean in to the orange bush to get a closer look only to have a hummingbird whiz past my head then fly up to the tree and land on a branch making noises I took as hummingbird cussing.

The bush is covered in flowers but, unlike working with the bees, me and Red CANNOT share and I’m being told about it.

My head is now the tower and Red is requesting a fly by. I feel the side of my head vibrate as this miniature jet fighter screams past. Faintly I hear “…gonna take you right in to the danger zone…”

This makes me laugh. I say out loud “you’re serious right now?” and throw up my hands as if I’m saying “bring it little bird.”

No big crazy humming bird fight happens next. Red didn’t tackle me and flop me around with his surprising hummingbird strength. No, just another talking to from the branch above.

But now I feel guilty. I’m in the way of food and trust me no one wants to be in my way when I’m “starving” so I get it.

For me, minutes of snapping unnecessary pictures is nothing. But to this hardworking, fast moving hummingbird I’m some huge, incredibly slow moving creature who isn’t even eating, just staring at the food, slowing down the buffet line while the food goes bad, until, infuriated, it screams “move bitch get out tha way!”

It’s all perspective.