Honey bees can turn a simple flower bed into a busy little runway. On a spring morning at the Arkansas River Valley Nature Center, I stopped near the main building and watched one work the blooms up close.
Wildlife Notes
This honey bee kept cycling between nearby blossoms, landing, feeding, and lifting off again within seconds. I watched it pause just long enough to probe the flower and reposition its feet before moving on.
Honey bee getting water is another quick moment I like to watch, they stay busy even when they are not on flowers.
The bee was working Ernest’s spiderwort, a wildflower with bold blue petals that stands out fast in a garden bed. I liked how the color contrast made the bee easy to track, even while it moved.
What stood out most was the steady rhythm. The bee did not hover in one spot for long. It worked a flower, then slipped to the next, like it had a route to run.
A Quick Note on the Setting
This spot was right by the main building at the Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center. It is an easy place to slow down and look closely, even if you only have a short visit.
If you go, check the landscaping beds first. They can be active with insects when the flowers are fresh.
Photography Notes
I photographed this image at the Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center (Arkansas) on May 21, 2023 at 9:15 A.M. Light was bright enough to bring out detail in the petals and the bee, so I leaned on a fast shutter speed to freeze motion.
Gear Used:
- Camera: Canon EOS R5
- Lens: Canon RF 100-500 mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
Technical:
- Location: Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center (Arkansas)
- Date and Time Taken: May 21, 2023 (09:15 A. M.)
- Aperture: f8
- Shutter speed: 1/1600
- ISO: 1600 (Auto)
- Exposure Compensation: +0.7
- Focal Length: 500 mm
For this kind of subject, I try to keep my focus point tight and stay patient. Bees rarely pose, but they often repeat a pattern. If you watch for a minute, you can predict the next landing and be ready.
Closing
This was a small moment, but it reminded me why I love visiting places like this. A single patch of flowers can hold a whole morning’s worth of motion, color, and detail if you slow down and look.