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Image-of-the-Day by Subject
Insects (assorted) Page 2
Image Taken on 24 Apr 2022
at 12:11 Image of day on 29 May 2022
This Bee-fly was feeding on Green Alkanet flowers along the edge of the concrete
access track. You can see here how useful the long proboscis is on these
flowers. This is two pics of the same individual as they worked along the 10m
strip of flowers.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20220529_d72_20220424_1211_048+1212_058 bee-fly feeding on green alkanet flower 1+5 of 7 (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 18 Apr 2023
at 10:59 Image of day on 02 Jun 2023
A Bee-fly enjoying a Lady's Smock (Cuckoo Flower) flower.
The insect is hovering as well as touching the flower with their legs.
It was quite windy and probable hard to maintain position without a little 'help'.
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Ref: 20230602_df3_20230418_1059_052 bee-fly feeding on ladys smock (cuckoo flower) flower(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 18 Apr 2023
at 10:59 Image of day on 02 Jun 2023
A Bee-fly enjoying a Lady's Smock (Cuckoo Flower) flower.
The insect is hovering as well as touching the flower with their legs.
It was quite windy and probable hard to maintain position without a little 'help'.
.jpg)
Ref: 20230602_df3_20230418_1059_082 bee-fly feeding on ladys smock (cuckoo flower) flower(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 09 May 2011
at 10:58 Image of day on 07 Jun 2011
Also under the corrugated iron sheet was this Bee-Fly which came
out rather reluctantly, hovering very low to the ground giving us
opportunities to capture this unusual view of it hovering over
the ground with a lovely shadow.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20110607_df1_20110509_1058_056 bee-fly flying just above ground with shadow (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 29 Apr 2023
at 11:06 Image of day on 20 Jun 2023
A Bee-fly in flight.
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Ref: 20230620_df3_20230429_1106_059 bee-fly hovering(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 14 Apr 2020
at 16:23 Image of day on 02 May 2020
A Bee-fly hovers in the sunshine
Completely Harmless! - that long probe is NOT a stinger!
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Ref: 20200502_df3_20200414_1623_068 bee-fly hovering(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 19 Apr 2018
at 10:44 Image of day on 29 May 2018
Early Spring brings Bee-flies out to hover over anything, photographers
included. They are not bees, but true flies that mimic bees. The long proboscis
is not a sting, and the insect in completely harmless to humans.
 4 of 4 (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20180529_df3_20180419_1044_008 bee-fly hovering (discontinuous) 4 of 4 (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 19 Apr 2018
at 17:45 Image of day on 29 May 2018
The range of wing movement of the Bee-fly seems to be very small - this montage
includes the full range of up and down movement.
 2+3+1 of 3 (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20180529_df3_20180419_1745_086+099+085 bee-fly hovering (selected) 2+3+1 of 3 (montage)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 15 Apr 2015
at 15:01 Image of day on 02 Jun 2015
A Bee-fly with characteristic long straight Proboscis hovering perhaps
2.5 metres up over the rough meadow grass. The brown pattern on the wings
almost looks 'painted' on with brush streaks, but has not been 'fiddled' with.
Manual exposure 1/4000Sec F7 170mm (not allowing for 1.4x teleconverter) 2500 ISO
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20150602_df3_20150415_1501_331 bee-fly hovering 3 of 3 (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 01 May 2023
at 16:40 Image of day on 20 Jun 2023
A bee-fly hovered over the corrugated Iron sheet for several seconds before landing.
That's 27 frames at 7 fps skipped to get this pair 4 seconds apart.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20230620_d72_20230501_1640_044+071 bee-fly hovering over and landing on corrugated iron sheet (accurate montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 08 Apr 2023
at 12:47 Image of day on 19 May 2023
This Bee-fly is feeding by hovering in front of a blackthorn flower.
The 'sharp' wing is just changing the direction of movement - the rest of the 20 or so
pics of this moment have wings a blurry mess even at 1/1000th second exposure.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20230519_df3_20230408_1247_170 bee-fly hovering to feed on blackthorn blossom (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 30 Mar 2019
at 14:57 Image of day on 01 May 2019
... and here a Bee-fly hovers back to camera 'into the wind'.
Look for that long (harmless) proboscis - it is NOT a stinger.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20190501_df5_20190330_1457_074 bee-fly in flight (1st of 2019)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 30 Mar 2025
at 12:40 Image of day on 12 May 2025
The Bee-flies are about - a sure sign of Spring.
They look dangerous, but are harmless to humans.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20250512_df3_20250330_1240_004 bee-fly in flight (typically 1cm long)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 24 Apr 2010
at 14:50 Image of day on 30 May 2010
This might be a 'common' bee-fly (one of 12 or 15 species
according to which book you look in but neither has any detail)
now seen here in Spring for the last 3 years. This year we got
the 'Flight Tunnel' out of its winter hibernation early and made
this one one of the subjects.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20100530_da1_20100424_1450_117+1612_208_ft1 bee-fly in flight and red campion flowers (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 30 Mar 2019
at 11:27 Image of day on 01 May 2019
The arrival of Bee-flies, a 'True fly, not a Bee, signals the new season is well
underway. Here is one perched on some dried grass ...
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Ref: 20190501_df5_20190330_1127_052 bee-fly perched in desiccated grass(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 14 Apr 2018
at 15:32 Image of day on 29 May 2018
We first spotted this Bee-fly flying around the shrubs in a sunny patch.
Fortunately it landed on this desiccated Oak leaf, possibly to warm itself in
the sun, and we caught this view with the interesting shadows of the wings.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20180529_df3_20180414_1532_118 bee-fly perched on dead oak leaf with shadows of wings (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 13 Apr 2021
at 15:57 Image of day on 29 May 2021
For us the real start of the insect season is the first sightings of Bee-flies.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20210529_d73_20210413_1557_147+1541_101 bee-fly perched on leaf with in-flight insert (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 03 Apr 2023
at 15:49 Image of day on 19 May 2023
We didn't even know Bee-flies existed until we started seeing them here.
This one is resting on one of last years fallen Oak Leaves.
The proboscis at the front is clearly visible, and the structure of
the wings is best seen in the shadow cast by the left wing.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20230519_df3_20230403_1549_145 bee-fly resting on fallen oak leaf (1st of 2013)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 07 Apr 2023
at 10:33 Image of day on 19 May 2023
Bee-flies don't stay around for long, so we tend to photograph them whenever we see one.
The water drops on the tips of two grass stems are as yet un-dried dew.
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Ref: 20230519_df3_20230407_1033_120 bee-fly resting on ground level leaf with natural water drops on grass tips(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 08 Apr 2023
at 12:52 Image of day on 19 May 2023
Finally a Bee-fly on a nettle.
Some patches of sheltered nettle just didn't die back in the frosts this year,
giving it a head-start this year.
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Ref: 20230519_df3_20230408_1252_187 bee-fly resting on nettle leaf(r+mb id@768).jpg
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