Loaded

Perfect photo. He's been busy. I got stung last week :( John was with me to squeeze the sting out luckily.

Nice of you to give him a helping hand with his heavy load Toto !

Thanks Dawn. I hope the sting wasn't too painful.
He looked like he needed a rest Bonkers.
It was not an easy photo to get as I'm right handed, the camera has the controls on the right and the bee was sitting on my right index finger.

Love the way he s dusted in pollen quite a rare sight these days .

I wish that I wasn't so afraid of these! They get my heart racing if they're even near me! Can't imagine staying calm enough to snap a photo. Great shot btw :)

Bumblebees rarely sting, it's the wasps and hornets that are nasty. Well done on the photo in the circumstances. Wonder where he'd been, collecting all that pollen.

It looks like he's got horns! You must be a contortionist, Toto, to get such a good shot one handed :)

Brilliant photo Toto.I am always having to help bees in my garden when they get too cold and can't get up to the flowers.I usually hold them in my cupped hands until they warm up and put them onto an open flower.Yours has a large piece of pollen sac on his leg so he has been busy lol....

Dawnsaunt,I am surprised the bee stung you as they lose their lives when they leave the sting behind!!.Hope you are getting over the worst of it now....

Wow! Stunning Photo Toto I love2 see & Hear Bees :)

Thank you everyone. I agree with you Elke. Bumble bees rarely sting but honey bees will if they feel threatened although I have handled them in the past without a problem. Even hornets and wasps don't sting just for the sake of it. It's only a defence mechanism when they feel threatened. Just don't upset them.
It wasn't the one hand that was the problem Gee it was the fact that it was my left hand and being right handed with the camera controls on the right of the camera.
Wonderful to know that there are people like you around Tina.
Nice to see the pollen isn't it bonkers?
What's the latest on the ducks?

Even if they don't sting often, the scary thought is always there.
I admire your bravery, and photography.

Thanks Newfie. There was no bravery involved.

Sadly Toto the female has not been seen for 6 weeks,but her mate returns every day 4 times to feed and swim in pond.Fear the worse,and he cuts a lonely figure here..calling for her before flying off. : ( Quite upsetting.................

~I thought they die if the use their sting~which is why they don't except as a last resort.

So sorry to hear that Bonkers. I can understand how upsetting that can be.

I love bees and I'm not frightened of them at all but when I was stung last week it was due to me and the bee colliding, lol. I didnt even see it, just heard it buzzing. We bumped into each other, it dropped down my top, and I was trying to get it out, flapping my T Shirt and it must have panicked.

~sounds nasty Dawn~poor you poor bee!If you have evcr watched bees for any length of time you will notice how erratc rhey are and how they go back and forth to the same place~I I suppose it does a good job of pollination!

Dont suppose Dawn wants the bee returning too often to the same place on her Arlene ..lol

Ha ha BB. It stung my shoulder but John was closeby so he squoze the sting out and a quick spray sting relief and I was fine. I think he thought his luck was in as I approached him ripping my T shirt off, lol. Felt sorry for the bee though :(

Now I feel sorry for John.

He hee Toto.