Golden Bum

A new title for a James Bond movie perhaps - it has a ring to it.

Now, if you have been paying attention, you will realise that this is the flower that's 3 cms across tip to tip - a native bluebell Wahlenbergia spp.  If you live in the southern part of this country I do urge you to plant some next spring.  You will all manner of visitations and if you love bees as I do (no surprise there), you might get this species to visit you.

To the best of my knowledge it's not been in this garden before, and I do believe it's from the Megachile spp, the leaf cutter and resin bee family.  Which one it is I have no idea.  But such fun finding her.

The extras:  one is the bee buried up to it's little golden bottom, diving in for the pollen.  She scrapes the pollen onto her under belly, and you can just about tell from the image she's getting a pretty full tummy.  The second one is of her in flight, because as it has so rightly been pointed out in the past - I'm a show off.

It was the devil's own job to get a decent image - it's impossible to second guess the flight path, which is erratic beyond all belief.  Plus it is of course very tiny.

I've had a rush to blood - but there's no stepping back now.  I've put my hand up to be assistant secretary of the Friends of Belair National Park.  It's the Park's 125 anniversary next year, and my dear friend the Secretary is definitely going to have a breakdown unless she has someone to help her.  So it's going to be me.

Thanks so much for the lovely comments, stars and hearts over the past few days - they are so very welcome, and very kind.