Your Best Flower Shots

purple coneflower (& bumblebee)

IMAGE LINK: https://www.flickr.com​/gp/jimmy_racoon/23Nq6​799Hp

Crocus.

OhLook wrote in post #19546735
Today I revisited the Cheetos farm seen here:
It turns out that many of the flowers were buds. As a bud matures, two things happen. Reproductive organs appear at the tip (image 1), and the underside of the bud splits open lengthwise from near the tip to about halfway to the base (images 1 and 2). I couldn't tell which event occurs first. It looks as if the split is first, but I'm not sure.

Hosted photo: posted by OhLook in
./showthread.php?p=195​46735&i=i66776955
forum: Nature & Landscapes

Hosted photo: posted by OhLook in
./showthread.php?p=195​46735&i=i138880809
forum: Nature & Landscapes

Nice series.

Capn Jack wrote in post #19546998
Nice series.

Thank you.

I now wonder whether those bees were pollinating at all. Web sources say lion's tail is pollinated mainly by birds. I watched this patch for at least 15 minutes, according to the times the camera recorded. Many bees visited the flowers, and I didn't see even one at the tips. These bees evidently treated the plants as a nectar bar. They stopped for a drink and left without paying.

garibaldi wrote in post #19546923

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2oTg​mzZ 20230727QueenElizabeth​Park0044 by Charles Leung, on Flickr

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2oSe​3Pw 20230727QueenElizabeth​Park0051 by Charles Leung, on Flickr

VERY nice.

OhLook wrote in post #19547011
Thank you.

I now wonder whether those bees were pollinating at all. Web sources say lion's tail is pollinated mainly by birds. I watched this patch for at least 15 minutes, according to the times the camera recorded. Many bees visited the flowers, and I didn't see even one at the tips. These bees evidently treated the plants as a nectar bar. They stopped for a drink and left without paying.

Possibly the tips were far from the bee's bodies? If so, they really couldn't pollinate while getting nectar as pollination is often because a critter rubs against the reproductive organs while getting the nectar.

Capn Jack wrote in post #19547037
Possibly the tips were far from the bee's bodies? If so, they really couldn't pollinate while getting nectar as pollination is often because a critter rubs against the reproductive organs while getting the nectar.

Yes, the tips were far from where the bees perched and explored––see the images. Few Cheetos even had repro organs visible. I had to hunt to find any in convenient spots to shoot, whereas partly open undersides were all over the place.

chuckmiller wrote in post #19547016
VERY nice.

Thank you

Hydrangea

Sunken Gardens, Lincoln, NE

The end of season. Bounced/diffused flash at 1/64 power.