Greg Molyneux Photography

Tag: carpenter bee

  • Identify Yourself

    Identify Yourself

    Macro photo of a carpenter bee collecting wisteria pollen.
    Identify Yourself — 100mm | f/3.5 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/640

    My brain gets the best of me. Often I wrap myself sideways in details that stand meaningless to most. Mired in Minutia: A Greg Molyneux Memoir. Case in point, I present this photograph. I’ve been scrutinizing Google images for days, sweating over proper bee identification. Is it a bumblebee? A carpenter bee? A rusty patched bumblebee? Which until yesterday I knew nothing about; bombus affinis is one cool species name, though. Or is it some other bee I don’t even know about? Ah yes, the endless fretting of a runaway mind.

    Taxed and unable to commit I sent a photo of my photo to Ben Wurst today. South Jersey’s Captain Planet, Ben’s the clear choice for local wildlife identification. Almost immediately Ben confirmed my suspicion. Declaring this here bee of the carpenter kind. Whew! Are you tired from this tedium, too?

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  • Beeswax, are you minding it?

    In this macro photograph a carpenter bee is captured from behind as it pollinates a quick fire hydrangea, basking in golden hour light.
    Beeswax, are you minding it? — 100mm | f/4 | ISO 100 | EXP 1/250

    This shot is a holdover from this past Sunday. I spent a good half hour stalking my quick fire hydrangea as it lay awash in rich golden light and carpenter bees. Despite the abundance of airborne insects doing their pollinating thing it what seemed like fast forward, I couldn’t get a single carpenter bee to stop let alone face toward me. Left with just the business end of the abdomen, I’m still happy with the result.