Sleepy Bees

For the second day in a row, my afternoon hike was accompanied by the rumble of encroaching storms. Today there seemed no chance of sunlight, rather a slight brightening of the grey clouds. I packed a plastic bag for my camera as there was a good chance I'd not make it back home before the next round of rain arrived.

Muddy trails, drenched and nodding flowers, dripping leaves. Along the way to the wooded pond, hover flies and a bumble bees perched and nectared amid the blooming Waterleaf.

At the pond, in a stand of grass, I caught sight of a sleeping cuckoo bee. This has been high up on my hope-to-find list for quite some time. Numerous insect photographers have posted photos of these sleepy bees, but until today I hadn't encountered one myself. Other bees and wasps sleep in this fashion, clamped stiffly to leaf or twig. Except for the rigid posture, it's difficult to tell when a bee is asleep; they cannot close their eyes like we do.

Sometimes, while reading, I nod off and wake awhile later to find the book I was holding slipped from my grasp. I wonder if these bees ever relax their grip and fall from their perch while still asleep?

Posted on May 18, 2017 04:02 AM by scottking