[Leica] IMG: Today at the Buddlei Bush

[Jim Nichols]

When I walked out to the Buddlei Bush today, I found another Gulf 
Fritillary and some bees, along with a lot of smaller insects. The 
Fritillary was usually in motion, but I finally got one acceptable shot.

http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/Gulf+Fritillary+77.JPG.html

I saw some peculiar behavior on the part of the Carpenter Bees. While 
one was wrapped up in the flowers, a second large bee was hovering 
almost motionless, watching.  Here is the hovering bee.

http://www.gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/Hovering+Carpenter+Bee+91.JPG.html

As a former aerodynamicist, I noted that, while hovering, with the wings 
in constant motion, the instantaneous photo shows the left wing at a 
positive angle of attack while the right wing is just the opposite.  But 
my fellow engineers are the ones that said that a bumble bee can't fly, 
so what do we know.  The bees make it work for them. :-)

Comments and critiques welcomed and appreciated.

-- 
Jim Nichols
Tullahoma, TN USA