Sax Zim Bee

The fields of the Sax Zim Bog where filled that day with the smell of grass, the color of blooming flowers, and the hum of buzzing insects. I have not made bees a feature here at Ecobirder as I have butterflies and dragons but there are times when the pictures just compose themselves and the only thing that you can do is to trigger the shutter.
Bees are attracted to flowers because they eat the nectar and pollen contained with in the blooms. The nectar gives the bees energy while the pollen is used for protein and stored to feed the bee larvae. This bee appears to be looking for nectar. In the photo above you can see its proboscis inserted into the bloom.
Even when they are searching for nectar bees are still helping to pollinate plants. As they drink the nectar, pollen gets stuck on their legs and is carried to the next flower where some will fall off and begin the pollination process. The yellow powdery substance on the legs of the bee above is pollen.