Imogen's photos with the keyword: Imogen

Native Australian Bee, Amegilla sp., or Blue Banded Bee flying to a Lavender in search of nectar. Its mouthparts are already dropped down in anticipation of finding nectar. The second picture in the insert clearly shows the blue bands on the Bee's body, hence the common name Blue Banded Bee. These native bees live individually in burrows in the ground, or between mortar in brick walls, not in hive communities. They lay eggs and hoard food stocks for the hatchlings emerging in the following Spring. Sensitive to temperature, the Amegilla bee only becomes active around end of October (mid-Spring) and are the first to disappear when it turns cold in Autumn. On cloudy cool days they do not fly or work, but stay at home in their burrow.

Covered in raindrops this fly rests on a flower waiting to dry off perhaps?

David Austin rose, Tamora, glows even on a dull rainy day. One of the loveliest roses in our Australian climate.

A native Australian bee, Amegilla, employs stealth to gain access to the nectar in this flower by going directly to the base of the flower calyx. She makes a small hole with her sharp mouthpiece through the wall of the flower to get to the nectar. The bee saves time doing this and not using the normal method of exploring the flower trumpet. The negative side to this is pollination of flowers is diminished as the bee tends not to transfer pollen between flowers.

This honey bee was as impressed with the pink asters as I was. I watched it travel from flower to flower for a long time, it seemed intent on visiting as many flowers as possible. Such tireless work bees do!

Two bees in Gallica Rose. Strolling through the garden at dusk I saw these two bees who were motionless and appeared to be resting or sleeping. Bees usually return to the hive each afternoon after their daily work is done. It is lovely to imagine these two bees spent the night in this glorious perfumed rose.

Assassin Fly or Robber Fly, Ommatius sp., on Perennial Basil plant. Named thus because it catches and eats other insects, flies, bees, wasps. It catches the prey in mid-air usually.

The season of Spring is forever associated in my mind with Tulips. No other flower evokes the feeling of renewal and new possibilities in life as Tulips do. This picture is dedicated to the memory of Cassi.

This morning I went out to see if the Leafcutter bee I had spotted last night was around. There were not one but two Leafcutter bees buzzing around this blue Salvia. It is a popular plant with my bees as I counted 5 types of bees on the Salvia at the same time. Honeybee, Leafcutter Bee, Blue Banded native bee, tiny Stingless native bee and a brief visit from a Teddy Bear Bee. I am thrilled to see this Leafcutter bee, Megachile sp., which has eluded me till now. More pictures of it to follow.

Leafcutter Bee, Megachile sp., length 12mm. This is the first sighting of this bee in my garden and I'm so excited. Excuse the low resolution picture as it was taken at night - I had gone outdoors to photograph something else when I spotted the bee. It happened so fast I didn't have time to adjust my camera but wanted to capture the bee before it flew off. This bee cuts neat circular pieces out of soft leaves, like rose leaves, to use in its nest. I've seen the holes in my roses' leaves but never the bee, until now.

Early morning is my favourite time of day, when everything seems possible..

Dark and light bark Australian trees in conservation forest area, Sydney.

Australian tree Angophora Costata or Sydney Red Gum. The twisted or contorted branches are a feature of this tree when it grows in poor or thin soils (usual in Australia). Each year in Spring the bark peels off to reveal new pink bark underneath (see inset for bark texture and colour). Many Australian tree species shed their bark regularly which forms dense forest litter providing fuel for bush fires.

Australian native bee, Amegilla Cingulata (Blue Banded Bee) on Salvia flower. This native bee of Australia does not live in a communal hive like the honey bee. Each female makes her own single nest in a burrow in the ground or sometimes in a wall cavity or such like, where she lays her eggs. However, groups of these bees often make their nests in close proximity to each other in a pseudo community. Individual Amegilla live just one season each before dying off in winter. In Spring the eggs hatch and the life cycle carries on once more. Salvia as a group of plants provide a long season of nourishment for native and other bees in Australia and other similar climates.

Delphinium Elatum seed pod development. All the world is a hustle bustle, and all the while Nature quietly procreates to ensure survival. This Delphinium is in a hurry, producing seed pods while the florets are still in full bloom. The summer has been dry in Australia this year, with little rain in six months. Some plants seem to sense this in advance and grow and seed quickly in an attempt to give their offspring a head start.

Apis Mellifera (honey bee). This lovely blue salvia plant has attracted just about every bee species around our area. Native bees love it as do honey bees like the one here. Bees are an integral part of the life cycle of flowers and my pictures try to show this. To me, plants have an exuberance equal to that of insects and other animals. When I look at nature through my lens like here, the bee is as much part of the tapestry as the plant. I appreciate macro work by other photographers who show a bee or insect close-up and in (relative) isolation, but prefer to show a wider view of nature myself.