Thursday, September 12, 2013

Blooms, Bees, Butterflies

Blooming barrel cacti




honey bees




metallic green sweat bees


red ants






Wildflowers growing on the side of the road


desert senna with sweat bee


Butterflies


chrysalises on sweet acacia tree


giant swallowtail flying over citrus tree


giant swallowtail resting on oleander leaf during a rainstorm


The next five photos (shot through a chain link fence) are of a pipevine swallowtail butterfly on a blooming desert willow tree.








And here's a swallowtail camouflaged on a red bird of paradise flower:



The pictures above are from August and I took the one below in September.

pipevine swallowtail on creosote

Have a good day         

17 comments:

Barb said...

I love, love, love the green bees on the pink/orange bloom! I like your close look at desert nature.

Roberta Warshaw said...

Oh yes those green bees are amazing inside the flower. All the photos are gorgeous. You do live in a spectacular place............I try to see the beauty in the east coast where I live but it just cannot compare......

Thérèse said...

Amazing pictures Diane!
So many pollinators! So many benefits.

Julie said...

OMG! Such amazing photos, as usual!!! Love the chrysalises and the beautiful close up of the metallic bees and cactus blooms!!! WOW!!!!!

Anonymous said...

So much gorgeous nature! Lovely shots.

Ramakrishnan said...

Captivating pics all of them. So much beauty in the desert.Thanks for sharing.

Candace said...

What lovely photos you have here! I'm adding you to my AZ Bloggers blogroll as I'm an AZ blogger also.

Darla said...

Awesome photos as always...I'm particularly captivated by the "metallic green sweat bees" in the center of the flower...striking!

rainfield61 said...

All the creatures certainly have a good day.

Celeste said...

I love the Barrel Cactus blooms, definitely one of my favourites. Those chrysalids are really crazy looking - great spot!

Janie said...

I love cactus flowers. They're beautiful in themselves, but all the more spectacular growing out of such a prickly base.
Lovely butterfly photos, too.

Ramakant Pradhan said...

I never realized the flora of the desert is so alive and full of colours. The images are fabulous.

betchai said...

what a very alive world so full of beautiful creatures and sights

EG CameraGirl said...

Gorgeous blooms!

JB said...

Wow, wow and wow!!!
Amazing pictures, Diane:
the colors, the composition, the flies, the flowers and Ferocactus ... fantastic.

JB

Betsy Grant said...

The color and variety of nature revealed in this photos is simply amazing. Thanks for sharing!

ΕΥΡΥΤΑΝΑΣ ΙΧΝΗΛΑΤΗΣ said...

Πανέμορφες φωτογραφίες.
Συγχαρητήρια.