This morning, I’m sharing a simple image of a Musk Thistle and a bumblebee that I photographed two days ago in the high country of the Wasatch Mountains.
Musk Thistle with a bumble bee
I’m not certain about the bumblebee’s identification; I only know that it is a bumblebee. I didn’t have time to research the species.
The Musk Thistle is non-native, but I’m always delighted to see our native bees, beetles, and other insects on these bright pink flowers.
Currently, our native bee populations are declining due in part to indiscriminate insecticide and chemical use and habitat destruction. It no longer matters to me whether the bees obtain what they need from native or non-native wildflowers.
Simply put, what matters to me is that they survive humankind’s attack on them and nature.
Mia
Click here to see more of my flower, shrub and tree photos. Click here to see my insect and spider galleries.
Marvelous detail and color. I can practically count every fiber on the Musk Thistle.
As for the bee crisis…it exists in San Diego too. They just don’t seem to hang around here anymore. Same with butterflies. They just ain’t here. Scary.
The colors in this shot are so vivid! We used to have many bees in our neighborhood, including those from a couple of kept hives and several feral hives, one of which was next door. (I still have the wax that fell from the tree after the bees abandoned the hive — my students were fascinated!). I’m seeing fewer and fewer bees each year, which is a tragedy.
Beautiful. And how I hope we learn how important our pollinators are.
Lovely photo. Despite the abundant flowers this year from our went winter I am seeing very few pollinators in general.
Good to draw attention! Read Silent Earth by David Goulson.