The honey bee and the spider

I had a moment to go out and photograph today at noon... the worst time of day to get an outdoor image... or so they say. But for me it was the best time; as the sun shone on the flowers (somewhat rare due to the trees in the area), the bees were abundant and buzzing about and (here's the crucial part) I had time to get out there! I felt pretty good about the images I captured and really didn't get a chance to go back for more, so I was tickled to see a couple of them when I got them up on the computer. This one was the winner for obvious reasons... I have a series of shots of the bee searching for pollen on this flower as the spider awaits, this one as the bee discovers the spider and then the next frame was of the bee flying off and the spider ducking under the petals after that surprise movement! (Fairly humorous.) I watched it unfold through my lens... hoping to get a good combo image, but ready to defend the honey bee if needed. ;) (These crab spiders lay in wait of their prey instead of capturing them in a web.)

I found this shot funny. The bee seems to be saying "Oh, hello you silly little spider." Have a look large for a better view of the scene.

I actually liked this one of the bee even better, the eye is just amazing... but I couldn't pass up posting a bit of the interaction between these two.

Now, to thank all of you for a wonderful 200th blip-day!! It's funny, I didn't realize that it was my 200th blip until I started reading the comments... I knew it was close, but I guess I had lost track. I do so appreciate all of the sweet comments and stars and hearts! And for the first time I (briefly) made it to the spotlight page! Woo Hoo! :)

More than half way through the year...