June 04, 2018

Bees on TV

Roses 2

Recently a local television program filmed a segment on bee monitoring at the UW-Madison Arboretum. The filming occurred during our regular Friday volunteering session, since our group of volunteers includes several trained bee monitors. The rest of us got to tag along.

I served as a spotter and a photographer, and helped search for bees of various species among the blooming plants. Tough gig, eh?

While we were waiting, I took stock of the beautiful blooming native plants.

plant hut
Baptisia alba near the plant hut

Tradescantia ohiensis
Tradescantia ohiensis

Zizia aurea
Zizia aurea

Aquilegia canadensis
Aquilegia canadensis

Asclepias syriaca
Asclepias syriaca (not blooming yet, but close and distracting with its fluffy, soft buds)

Geranium maculatum
Geranium maculatum

Anemone canadensis
Anemone canadensis

We also checked the plants in the horticultural garden.

horticultural garden

The Azaleas were bright and colorful.

Kolkwitzia amabilis
Kolkwitzia amabilis

A giant Beauty Bush was covered in a profusion of pink.

The most popular blooms for all the bees and pollinators we found were the roses--both the native Prairie Rose (Rosa arkansana), and the cultivated varieties. Most of the roses had one, two, three, and sometimes more pollinators, insects, and spiders visiting them at the same time. It was a party among the roses!

Rosa arkansana

Roses 8

Roses 4

Roses 9

Roses 11

Roses 3

Roses 10

Roses 7

Roses 6

Roses 5

Roses 1

Bee monitoring is such an important citizen science activity. To find out how to get involved in your area or online, contact The Xerces Society or Bumble Bee Watch.

I'll let you know when the television program airs.

35 comments:

  1. What fabulous photos you have here Beth, well done! It must have been fun to be with the filming group. Is that nearly extinct bee still found in the prairie? I forget what it is called. I think about it occasionally when I am watching bumbles in my garden.

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    1. Thank you, Lisa. Yes, it was fun! Yes, the rusty-patched bumble bee is still in the area, but that species, I'm told, is more active later in the summer. I haven't seen any in my garden, but I've seen them at the Arb several times. :)

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  2. I'm with Lisa. Those photos are glorious. Can't wait to see the program. I'll watch for your info on time and date.

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    1. Thanks, Linda. It sure was fun to track and spot them the other day! I'm not sure what kind of segment they're planning to do, but I'll keep you posted on the time and date, and/or I'll share a link.

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  3. Looks like a great day in the garden for all involved ... plants, insects, botanists :)

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    1. Yes, yes, it was! Watching bees is good therapy for anyone--including the plants and the bees, themselves! ;-)

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  4. You got great shots of the bees, Beth! Thanks for the links. My garden is loaded with bees and, if I can get some better shots, I'll send them on the Bumble Bee Watch.

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    1. Thank you, Kris. I remember you posting about the bee activity in your garden, which is a very good sign. :)

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  5. Oh Beth what a wonderful experience and opportunity. And I love all your bees. I need to get better at identifying my bees. I love that I have almost all those natives in my garden....I think that is one reason I have so many bees here.

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    1. Yes, it was great fun, Donna. I'm terrible at identifying bees, but it's still fun to find them, track them, and watch them. I'm sure your garden is a bee haven! :)

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  6. If I was a bee, the rose would be my choice too, imagine getting intoxicated by rose pollen! The single roses are of course best for bees and they are so beautiful.

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    1. Oh yes, agreed about the roses, Chloris! I could lose myself in roses for days on end. ;-) I love them all.

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  7. Great clicks Beth . . .
    Lovely flowers . . .
    Happy bees . . .

    I have noticed more bees here this year, around our home,
    I think that must be a very good thing . . .

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    1. That is a very good thing, Lynne! Thank you. The bees, the flowers, the plants, the other insects, and the people were happy. ;-)

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  8. Wonderful shots, Beth! Your spring seems well on its way! How fun that you were able to participate, and yeah, tough gig!

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    1. Thanks, Tina! Yes, we're pretty much into summer now. Not much spring this year, but everything is green and growing and full of life.

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  9. Respect for your glorious photography skills!

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    1. Thank you, Diana! Some of it is luck and being at the right place at the right time. I love to watch and photography pollinators. :)

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  10. Beautiful!
    Wonderful macro photos of the pollinators!
    Hope you are having a great week!

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    1. Thank you, Lea. The bees certainly were plentiful that day. :)

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  11. Its so wonderful to see all those pollinators in your garden and your captures of the bees are amazing!

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    1. Actually, these pollinators were at the Arboretum, but yes, it's wonderful to see them in the home garden, too! Thank you!

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  12. These pictures are a great advertisement for native wild roses!

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    1. I know! The bumbles (and other pollinators) love the roses!

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  13. Hi,
    What a neat project. Yes, please do send the info when it airs on TV.
    Great photos.
    Carla

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    1. OK, I will! Thanks! It will probably be pretty easy for you to catch because it's a Wisconsin-based series. :)

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  14. Sounds like fun! I was watching some bees on one of our inherited roses and it was crazy. No relaxed pollen collection here - they were in a literal frenzy on those blooms!

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    1. It was fun! Oh, I know: Watching bees on the species roses with their flat, open blooms is such a joy. They go crazy for them!

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  15. Hi Beth, It looked like a great gig! You got some good pictures of our fuzzy friends. and lots of beautiful native plants. The roses are stunning...what's not to love about a rose? Even the thorns make them special.

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    1. It was fun, Sally! I totally agree: I'm a little crazy for roses. Always have been, and probably always will be. :)

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  16. Great pics! Especially the bees among the roses!!

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  17. Thanks for beeing so nice and sharing these beeutiful images with us.

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    1. Ha! I like your puns, Peter. Sorry for the delay on my response--just catching up on some comments. :)

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    2. Very nice pics. I monitor them in my garden just for my own curiosity but what a great project to get involved in.
      Seeing very few honeybees this year and a handful of bumblebees. :(

      Strange weather year here too. Not much snow at all, coolish spring then hot summer. Kind of crazy.

      Thank you too for all your lovely comments. You are the sweetest. That was interesting that the bloggers are coming to Denver next year. I am an hour north of there. I probably won't attend tho (unfortunately.) I don't really put this out there but I have a daughter with pretty severe special needs so I don't get too far from home. I hope it's a good gathering tho & I'll look forward to seeing what gardens are featured.

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