I dedicate these photos to my mother who is always hardworking, as the bees on these irises.
Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers!

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

Photos taken on May 7th, 2012. I spent about two hours shooting peonies, hawthorn and indigo bushes, then called a friend at the Botany Institute (under the CAS, Chinese Academy of Sciences). It turns out that they also have a botanic garden. They have a large garden full of various irises. I tried to find bees there since I have seen bees foraging on them last time in the Beijing Botanic Garden and also once at Lake Lansing Park. There were indeed many bees!

1. This purple one, I think we have it here also. but its color is difficult to reproduce on a digital camera. I might need to bring a white board again for manually setting the white balance.

2. A bee in flight, the bee was a bit too fast and got blurred…but it enhanced the sense of motion.

3. Going all the way to reach the nectar. this is a lighter, shorter species/variety.

4. Hovering.

5。 the thorax was full of pollen

6。The bee on the yellow iris was most cooperative.

7。It appears they have nectar outside right on the petal?

8。 She must be licking nectar.

9。 Then tried to get inside.

10。 There appeared to be a crack.

11。 Hovering again.