The South End Daily Bee

@msjessegray.bsky.social

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*Bees on hiatus* Documenting the native bees in my small urban yarden Rewilding as anticapitalist resistance Snuneymuxw Territory South End, Nanaimo www.jessegray.ca

A fuzzy golden brown mining bee is climbing over the edge of a white pear blossom; her front feet are hooked over the top edge and she’s stepping up with her back legs, looking like a human trying to scale a fence
Poster for an Exhibition at Vancouver Island University titled Convergent. Features 3 horizontal detail images of the artwork - the first with penciled Garry Oak leaves overlaying a map, the second a photo of a leaf cutter bee in the process of cutting out a leaf, and the last a a warm-toned oil painting with rocks and plants. Text details: 900 Fifth Street, Entrance 5D, Tue-Fri 10am-4pm, Show dates 02.24-04.02 Opening Reception 02.27 4-7pm Vancouver Island University & The View Gallery Present CONVERGENT art by Anne Ramsden, Jesse Gray, & Yvonne Vander Koii
Poster calling for volunteers on Oct 28 & Nov 1 to help build a pollinator pathway on Irwin street. Bordered by illustrations of purple asters & bleeding hearts, & 2 native bees flying around.
A combination of photographs & handwritten text on a grey background. Photos are all of red & yellow Nomad bees, text describes my observations & gives basic info on this type of bee.
A large bumble bee queen is in mid-fall out of a yellow sunflower, her back towards the ground & her legs all over the place
A long horned bee with back legs packed with pollen is perched precariously on the top of a purple aster flower. She has her wings up for balance and a leg in the air
A bee is in the centre of a bright yellow gumweed flower, collecting pollen. Her face is in shadow but her abdomen is pointed almost 90 degrees up from the rest of her body, with stripes of pale hair catching the sunlight
A large bumblebee seen from behind, climbing over several long leaves - her back end is striped in black, white, & rust red, & 3 of her legs are awkwardly splayed out to support her
A black bumblebee with cream & deep orange stripes is sideways in midair between two flowers, her back legs starfished out behind her
A black, blonde & rust red bumble bee is crawling through a sunflower, using the petals like a climbing structure
A round ball of a bumble bee sits upside down at the centre of a many-petaled yellow calendula. The bee is a striking combination of white, black, & rust red
Most of the image is taken up by a golden yellow calendula blossom lit up by the midday sun, and in the centre of the flower is a shimmery metallic emerald green bee.
A shimmering metallic emerald green bee is seen from above as she perches in the orange centre of a light purple aster blossom. She has her legs splayed out to the sides for balance, her wings are up & her body is bent at the waist & the neck, & her shadow is being cast on the petals beside her. These elements together make a pleasing composition.
A large dark bee is looking unconcerned while foraging in an orange calendula blossom, meanwhile a striped bee a third her size is just about to pounce on her from above
A black, yellow & red bumblebee asleep face down on a daisy
A 3 second loop of a quick green bee bopping into a much larger bee who was just minding her own business collecting pollen
A female Leafcutter bee foraging in a small yellow sunflower is ambushed from behind by a male Leafcutter bee, and they tumble over the side of the flower in a tangle of legs & wings.
At the bottom of a golden yellow composite flower, an emerald green metallic bee is lit from behind, & casting a distinct shadow of herself on the petals
In the bottom of a golden yellow sunflower, a female leaf cutter bee is foraging, her wings out to either side, & her abdomen covered with orange pollen. To her left, a pair of red & white crab spider legs are juuuuust peeking out from between the petals
A large black bee trimmed with blonde fur is perched on a light purple aster flower. She is extremely round, and is covering up most of the blossom with her body. She’s also carrying a load of orange pollen in the hairs under her abdomen.
A shaggy bee seen in profile while perched on the yellow centre of a purple aster blossom. She has shaggy pants full of orange pollen on her back legs & her segmented antennae are pointing down into the flower.
We are right up inside a bright golden flower, and in the middle is a bee looking straight at us with one big spotted blue eye. She is peeking at us from over the edge of a flower petal, and has her front foot propped up on the edge.
Super close up of a leaf cutter bee inside a sunflower blossom. She has a dark body with silvery-blonde hairs, a striped abdomen with orange pollen-carrying hairs on its underside, and a large glossy black eye.
An extremely cute grey & black bee with huge spotted grey-green eyes is perched in the centre on top of a purple and orange aster flower.
Art from the Pixar movie Monster's University. He is purple and shaggy and shaped like an upside-down letter U with a mouth and hands in the middle.
A short 10 second video of a cute blue-eyed bee with huge yellow pollen pants moving around in a grindelia flower. She appears to be collecting pollen & drinking nectar at the same time, and is moving so quickly the video appears sped up.
A black & white/pale yellow bumblebee is hanging off the inside of a bright yellow flower while it drinks nectar. Its 4 back legs are spread out in all directions & bracing against the petals. Her wings have come together into an oval in the middle of her back, highlighting the linework patterns of veins. The back end of the oval is ragged & torn & barely visible, indicating that the bee is getting on in bee years.
In the flat bottom of a yellow composite flower, a dark bee with big black eyes and light stripes on her abdomen is foraging with her wings and back end in the air.
A bright metallic emerald green bee with orange pollen on her legs is foraging in a yellow composite flower. Above her, in silhouette, a male of her species is diving through the air straight towards her
A black, blonde, & red bumble bee with enormous pollen loads on her back legs is in midair with all 6 of her legs extended out around her like a skydiver.
A brownish bee is inside a bright yellow flower; she has her back to us, looking almost like she’s standing up on her back legs, and she has her front 4 legs extended up in the air
A large grey & black bee is launching herself into the air from a yellow composite flower. She has an extremely long, tapered abdomen that ends in a wicked-looking point
In the middle of a light purple aster flower, a blonde, black, & red bumblebee has its back to us and is sticking its two middle legs straight up in the air like it is about to ‘we’re not worthy’ the plant
A dark brown bee with white stripes on her abdomen is foraging in the bottom of a yellow composite flower, legs splayed to the side for purchase. Her two back legs are covered in long, blonde, silky looking fur
A blonde & brown fluffy bee is half hidden in a yellow flower- she appears to be peeking at the camera over the edge of a petal with one large blue & grey spotted eye.
A light purple aster blossom is in the foreground; just about to pass behind it is a stocky dark bee with fluffy white body fur and orange pollen carrying hairs on her underbelly. She appears to be looking right at the camera with a large matte black eye
A tiny dark bee with big matte black eyes is perched on my grubby white lady gardener finger
A lightly fuzzy brownish bee with a black & white striped abdomen & pollen on her legs is perched on top cluster of white aster blossoms in the warm light of the late afternoon
Altercation between two green bees atop a cluster of tiny white yarrow blossoms. The darker female bee is foraging with very full pollen pants, & the lighter male has just ambushed her from above. He may have miscalculated, as he has landed on her top-to-tail
Wide shot of a yellow composite flower & 3 bees. Inside the flower one bee with poofy pollen legs is being antagonized by a green, yellow & black bee, while a dark leafcutter bee is flying across the foreground
A very striking black and golden-furred bee with huge spotted grey eyes is foraging on a light purple aster flower
Wide shot of yellow composite flowers- one black & white striped bee is inside a blossom & another is in the air
In the bottom of a bright yellow composite flower, a stocky bee is taking a nectar break. They have distinctive black stripes on their abdomen, a large head relative to their body & their face is a bit wasp-like in appearance.
Against a dark background, a brown bee with stripes of white fur on her abdomen is foraging on the flat bottom of a yellow composite flower. While her upper body is parallel with the bottom of the flower, she’s lifted her whole tail end straight up in the air, making nearly a 90 degree bend at her waist.
A grey male leafcutter bee with extremely floofy blonde fur is just about to land in a yellow flower. He has many remarkable features including huge jade green eyes, feathered white forelegs & a Mohawk of white fur across the front of his face
A small dark be with sparse white fuzz is just about to land on the edge of a cluster of white yarrow flowers. The bee has bright orange pollen stuck to its back feet, front legs, and the tips of its antennae.
A fluffy yellow & black bumble bee flying towards a purple comfrey blossom, against a blurred backdrop of bright green leaves.
A male leafcutter bee is drinking pollen at the base of a yellow gumweed/Grindelia flower. He has his abdomen arched up so his back end is higher than his head.
Another male leafcutter bee, this time much less disheveled. He is at the bottom of a yellow aster flower and has a gorgeous blonde moustache, as well as the distinctively odd front leg- white and smooth like a crab’s leg, with long bristles all along the back side.
A somewhat disheveled looking bee is perched along a yellow flower petal- he is grey with patchy white fluff & is looking at the camera with one huge spotted jade green eye. His front leg looks like it belongs on a different creature altogether- unlike the rest of him, it is pinkish white, large, smooth, and has multiple overlapping segments, like a crab leg, and a line of stiff looking bristles along the bottom side.
On a blueish green leaf a tiny dark bee is grooming his antenna. He is a shining a dull metallic bronze green in the fading evening light
A fluffy grey bee sits atop a cluster of white aster flowers. He has thick forelegs, bright grey eyes and an epic blonde toothbrush moustache
In the bottom of a bright orange calendula flower a dark grey bee is drinking nectar. She has large dark grey eyes and a striped abdomen that tapers to a vicious-looking point
A fluffy grey bee is caught in mid flight above a purple and yellow aster flower. He has a very striking face, with huge dark grey eyes, and a large blonde toothbrush moustache
A green and yellow bee is hanging from the underside of a leaf, right at the edge. He is metallic emerald green on his top half with yellow & black stripes on his abdomen, bright yellow legs, and reddish antennae. The tip of his right antenna is above the leaf catching the sunlight and glowing like ET’s fingertip
A fuzzy bee is perched in the yellow centre of a purple aster flower. She has one large spotted blue eye facing the camera and is sporting large yellow pollen pants on her rear legs.
Perched on the edge of a cluster of small white yarrow flowers, an emerald green bee is drinking nectar. She has an enormous load of bright orange pollen packed onto her back legs and abdomen, looking like it’s moments away from falling off in chunks.
A fluffy bumblebee is hanging from a long, light purple blossom with her mouthparts extending into the side. Her upper body is in the sun, lighting up a cloud of golden fur on her shoulders, her back legs and lower body are in shadow & silhouette under the flower. Her dark transparent wings are extended to each side of her and are clearly getting ragged at the edges
A bright metallic green bee with bright orange pollen pants is foraging atop clusters of white yarrow flowers. A male bee of her species is in the air & diving towards her, while a larger fluffier leaf cutter bee male is about to ambush her from behind
Holding a tiny dead bee in the palm of my (old white lady) hand. She is mostly brown and fuzzy, with huge fluffy back legs that look like fun fur leg warmers.