We are now several days into the month of November, and although the days are definitely shorter and the evenings somewhat cooler, the insect life is still pretty active. While I’m out and about each day I’m still seeing quite a few butterflies, wasps, bees, and of course the mosquitos are nearly endless. While I was watching the birds earlier today, I spotted this beautiful common eastern bumblebee (Bombus impatiens) flying from flower to flower collecting nectar and distributing pollen.

A lot of the blackjack flowers have gone to seed, but there are still plenty of them blooming as well. I was able to capture a little story here as the bee fed on a flower for several seconds. Then it began flapping its wings as it climbed to the top of the flower, and then launched itself on its way to the next flower. By moving rapidly from flower to flower, these bees get plenty of fresh nectar and move pollen between plants, ensuring next years crop will be strong and healthy.