Friday, August 23, 2024

Bees a buzzin'!

 
Don't kick the bucket....


or in this case....the steel drum!


I saw bees buzzing all around this old steel drum alongside the trail at Halpata Tastanki last week.


The wild bee hive is still there and the steel drum is nearby. 


When I got around to the other side of this drum, I zoomed in and saw a hole about the size of a dime and bees going in and out.


You just never know what you'll see on a hike at the preserve.


Which trail do you want to hike?


We get to a 't' and have to decide.

It was a sunny day but it felt great to be in nature.


I spotted this deer lying down in the shade of some trees.


She turned her head to get a better look at me but decided I wasn't a threat and stayed put.


A Cardinal lit on a branch and I saw a Bobwhite fly low across the trail.


This Gulf Fritillary butterfly lit near by. I saw lots of butterflies and dragonflies but no other good photo ops.


Now we have turned back to walk to the trailhead.


I parked in the shade so that kept the Jeep cool.


And I saw a Northern Harrier swooping overhead at the end of my hike.

It was a good day and the heat and humidity has been perfect for mushrooms. I'm trying to figure out what these look like. Maybe they look like some kind of sandwich or pastry?


What do you think?

I’m joining Saturday’s critters HERE

  and Mosaic Monday HERE !

48 comments:

Tom said...

...keep a buzzin'!

Ed Rosack said...

What a nice hike! I like the deer and cardinal photos, and the drum and bees are interesting. Wonder what they were doing in there?

MadSnapper said...

i think they look like a pastry with some delicious thing inside. like the meat pies bob says his mom used to make in PA. that barrel of bees is terrifying even with a zoom lens. last week a blog friend in Canada , had her dog and herself attacked by wasps. her hand is still swollen twice its size and the dog was really sick..they were walking a trail

Inger said...

I loved following you on your walk. The mushroom looks like a pancake or bread thingy flipped over.

Tine de Jong said...

What a beautiful blog with all the photos and the mushrooms do indeed look like some failed pancakes. But these are not tasty and even poisonous.

Jenn Jilks said...

What a lovely outing! I enjoyed it!

Ann said...

Those bees are busy little critters.
I think those mushrooms look like calzones.

HappyK said...

Either way looks good to go. Doesn't look like you have to walk up many hills!
Beautiful pictures.

QUILTING IS BLISSFUL, DI said...

You always see and take photos of wonderful things in nature--Love that cardinal and those deer photos--and bees!!
the mushrooms look like folded pita bread to me!!
hugs, diane

Marcia said...

Glad to see you have nice weather to hike.

roentare said...

The beehive is so special. The butterfly is colourful

Terri D said...

Bees are amazing! I've never seen mushrooms that look like those boat-like things! Thanks, always, for taking us on your hikes and sharing the beauty with us!! xo

Irma said...

This is a beautiful series of photos.
The cardinal in photo 10 is my favorite.
I wish you a good weekend.
Greetings Irma

Jeanie said...

Some beautiful sightings, though I'd want to steer clear of that nest! Love the butterfly and deer especially!

Bill said...

How interesting that the bees like that old steel drum. Beautiful captures of the cardinal, deer and the butterfly. Have a great weekend.

carol l mckenna said...

Awesome deer and butterfly photos ~ hugs,

Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
clm ~ A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)

Inger said...

Thank you for your kind comment, I had a tough winter will illness, and it took a while to get everything back to normal. All is well now and I'm so happy to be back to blogging and visiting with old friends. Friends, like you.

eileeninmd said...

Hello ,
What a lovely day for a walk, the trail looks nice. Wonderful nature sightings. The barrel is a weird item for the bees to nest in. Love the pretty deer, the Cardinal and the butterfly! Great capture of the Harrier flying by. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a great weekend.

Penelope Notes said...

The bees were so clever to inhabit that steel drum. A solid home, that's for sure. :)

italiafinlandia said...

The Gulf Fritillary butterfly is a beauty! 🦋😃
Happy weekend!

Debbie said...

sometimes those other pictures remain with us in our thoughts and memory. beautiful pictures all the way around...but the cardinal and the gulf fritillary are outstanding images!! we have a lot of fancy fungi around here!! enjoy the rest of your weekend!!

Debbie said...

man...i forgot about the deer and i really LOVE the deer!!

RedPat said...

Maybe the bees have another hive going inside the drum. It must be quite warm in there though.

Kim said...

Love that shot of the bee peeking out of the hole!

Cloudia said...

Healing and delightful. Thanks!

Lea said...

Great critter photos, and I like the tree with Spanish Moss, too

Breathtaking said...

Hello Diane :)
Another super post! Such lovely scenery and beautiful images. The butterfly, deer, Cardinal, and wild bee hive are all great sightings and the drum hive is amazing along with the strange shaped mushrooms. which remind me of pastries.
All the best
Sonjia

Marco Luijken said...

Hello,
Nice pictures.
Wonderful that red cardinal and that great colored butterfly. Nice post!!

Many greetings,
Marco

Lorrie said...

The mushrooms are amazing. They look almost papery. Another beautiful walk with so many lovely things to see. For how long do you walk?

magiceye said...

A bees hideout!

doodles n daydreams said...

Your walks are always very interesting. I think the mushrooms look like over cooked omelettes :)

Anu said...

Hello. A great place for hiking. A nice collection of different animal and bird observations.
Take care.

David M. Gascoigne, said...

I am wondering how an old steel drum got to be there and what it originally contained.

MELODY JACOB said...

What an adventure! It's amazing how even an old steel drum can become a buzzing hub of activity in nature. The encounters you had on your hike—seeing the deer, the Cardinal, and that beautiful Gulf Fritillary butterfly—must have made the day extra special. It’s those unexpected moments that make being in nature so rewarding. I can’t wait to hear about your next trail exploration!
Read my new blog post: https://www.melodyjacob.com/2024/08/best-ways-to-style-pink-shorts-for-chic-spring-summer-look.html
Thank you.

Mae Travels said...

Your photos of each trail do make them look inviting, though your mentions of the heat are a little off-putting. Nice photos.
best, mae at maefood.blogspot.com

Carla from The River said...

I love the butterfly, what a fun color.
I am in awe of the bee hive!
Carla

Barbara said...

Those mushrooms: I'll go with a pastry, maybe with a cherry filling inside?

Yvonne said...

What a lovely day and nice walk. I guess bees will live in almost anything.

Red Rose Alley said...

That steel drum with the hole is something else. I wonder what those bees are up to in there. The deer is a wonderful sight, and that is the prettiest orange butterfly. Great photo.

Enjoy the end of the summer days, Diane.

~Sheri

Veronica Lee said...

What a great hike!
The buzzing bees in the steel drum are such an unexpected find.
I love how you captured the flutter of the Gulf Fritillary and the Northern Harrier overhead.
Those mushrooms really do look like nature’s little pastries!

Have a great week ahead, Diane!

jean marie 14 said...

bonjour super billet et super blog, il annonce une semaine assez chaude avec des tempèratures avoisinant les 31 degrés , par contre la nature commencent a souffrir du manque d'eau je te souhaite une belle journée de Lundi ,belle semaine

Rostrose said...

Dear Diane, it was another wonderful trip with you! I didn't know that bees also live in steel drums, but maybe it's a subpopulation of the other wild bee tribe and they've built themselves a new home protected from the weather... (As far as I remember, there is short, heavy rain almost every day in Florida during the summer... Is that still the case?)
The deer, the cardinal, the beautifully colored butterfly, the northern harrier and the crumpled mushrooms were also great discoveries. A worthwhile excursion into nature!
All the best, Traude
https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2024/08/weltreise-2024-abschied-von-neuseeland.html

Wally Jones said...

Another great example of Florida's beauty. Also, a great example of how you just never know what you'll see unless you get outside!

Great virtual hike. Thank you for sharing.

Ricki Treleaven said...

Crazy looking mushrooms! They look like creatures from the bar scene in Star Wars! Happy you're out and about...it was 100 here yesterday!

Soma @ InkTorrents.com said...

Lovely photos! The Gulf Fritillary butterfly and the cardinal are so vibrant, and the tree is magical. Thanks so much for sharing them.

-Soma

Teresa said...

Tus paseos siempre son bonitos e interesantes. Besos.

diane b said...

Thanks for taking me on that hike. The mushrooms are weird.

Kim@Snug Harbor said...

This looks like the most amazing place to hike. Hope the weather is turning cooler for you. It's much cooler here in KY and the leaves are changing already. I am so ready for fall. Kisses!!