Chronicles of a NYC Bench #8: The Bees
September 4, 2008 | Filed Under Bees, Broadway Malls, Chronicles of a NYC Bench, Harlem, Neighborhoods, Seasons, Summer, West Side | 25 Comments
This bench is located in the street median. It basks in the glorious sunlight and is complimented with some beautiful flowers and trees in the background. I noticed that people sat around everywhere, but no one sat on this particular bench. I wondered why because it was the perfect spot to enjoy the last traces of summer, catch some sun rays and people watch, while having lunch.
I decided to take some closeup photos of the flowers and when I got closer to the bench, that’s when I saw the reason why no one sat there. Bees. Lots of them.
I tried to take some photos of the bees on the flowers but they didn’t keep still. They kept swarming around and I was afraid I would get stung. Yeah, I know. I’m a chicken. I snapped a few closeup photos (which didn’t come out well) and then decided to snap my photo from afar, instead. 
Talk about bees: I recently discovered a very nice blog by Kostas of Bee Foto Blog. It has a lot of wonderful photos of bees and other subjects of nature. Check it out when you have a chance.
Paz
Ants on the Flower Buds
July 31, 2008 | Filed Under Ants, Colors, Flowers, Insects, Trumpet Vines, Yellow | 15 Comments
From the archives:
What is the name of this flower? Trumpet vine?
Okay. So, sometime ago, I passed by this flower and there were a whole lotta ants crawling on the buds. I clicked away. The photo doesn’t really do it justice but here it is. I didn’t give much thought to the flower or the ants. Until now. Lily Hydrangea of Long Island Daily Photo inspired me to post today’s photo. Very recently, she posted a photo of a trumpet vine with ants crawling on its bud. She asked her readers if they knew what the ants were doing on the flower buds. Her answer? The ants are attracted to scale, which is an oval-shaped bump on the stems of the undersides of the flower leaves. Scale produces a honeydew that the ants like. So, that’s what the ants were doing! Very interesting. Another interesting note is that the ants do not harm the flowers. Thanks Lily Hydrangea. I like to learn something new everyday.
Paz
