Jordan Lake Dam, Haw River:  In the prior post, we looked at a whitestar morning-glory (native to NC) during the night, when it was resting and closed.  In the growing daylight, the whitestar blossom begins to open.  The blossom is almost irresistible to the eastern bumblebee.  The bumblebee is just a little bit smaller than the wee whitestar blossom. There is an advantage to the whitestar in this tight fit.  As the bumblebee wedges itself down into the flower, to reach the nectar, the insect picks up the pollen of the whitestar.  The bumblebee backs out, carrying her load of pollen and heads for the next blossom.  Pollination for the flower and nutrition for the bumblebee!  The eastern bumblebee narrates her story and I think she does a fine job…

Elegant, graceful, simply beautiful, Great Egret
 
 
Eastern Kingbird fledgling – yelling for a parent to feed him.  
 
 
the Common Buckeye butterfly
 
 
A Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly sharing a button bush blossom with some Eastern Bumblebees.
All these insects, along with the Common Buckeye are important pollinators.
 
 
 
 

it is hard to gather pollen when the wind is blowing at the top of the riverbank – the video should do well on full screen – I do not know why the little circle stays in the middle on the small screen view!

IMG_8414 bumblebee in flight 2014 (1)

bumblebee in flight towards the flowers and its work pollinating plants of all kinds

I have only seen one honeybee this spring and I worry about the loss of these golden pollinators.

thankfully a friend caught my error: this is a carpenter bee not a bumblebee – sorry for the error!