Seward, Alaska
Large-leafed lupines (Lupinus
polyphyllus) are in full bloom, ranging from white-striped lavender to pink-tipped
blue, to deep purple. Hidden in their specialized keel, a fusion of the two
lower petals, is a pointed sheath containing the pollen-tipped stamens and
style. Today, when the sun peeked through the rain clouds, the furry bumblebees
made a dash for the flowers.
Frantic, they literally bounced
from one flower to another, buzzing around the dense spikes, sipping nectar
with their long tongues and collecting pollen. As the hefty worker momentarily
landed on the keel to reach the nectar, its weight pushed the keel down,
allowing the sheath to poke it in the belly, simultaneously receiving and
transferring precious, orange pollen for cross-pollination. Very clever system!
Many of the bumblebees had
large orange pollen baskets on their hind legs, bulging with pollen. I did not
witness any transfer of pollen; either they were too busy at the time to stop
to comb it off their collecting hairs or they were much too quick. It's a wonder they can fly at all, especially with all that additional weight!
Most of the bumblebees wore
sleek black sunglasses, black hats, yellow shirts, orange skirts, and six black
socks, a striking combination. A few wore all yellow with a black cummerbund
and black bikini top with the standard accessories. The orange purses
complemented each combination and the lupine backdrop perfectly.
It was fascinating to watch
them, these beautiful and phenomenal, industrious insects, at work in such
spectacular flowers. Photographing them in action was challenging,
but a lot of fun.
Happy Bombus-ing!
Carol Griswold
Seward Sporadic Bird and
other things Reporter
 |
 |
No comments:
Post a Comment