Despite the drought — or perhaps because of it — various cactuses have bloomed quite nicely this year. I didn’t expect much from the prickly pears since their blossoms were so plentiful last year,1 but a few flowers popped up anyway. My favorites are those with red-orange centers.
All those cactus buds and blossoms are extremely attractive to various pollinators as well. The image below is a cropped version of the one above; I particularly like seeing the pollen on the bee’s back.
Cholla buds and blossoms have seemed especially abundant this year.
Again, the image below is a crop of the one above. Look at all the pollen this bee has already collected on its leg!
Bees aren’t the only insects who like chollas. Early in the cholla-blooming season, I spent several minutes trying to get the perfect shot of the perfect blossom. When I turned around, I saw that a cicada had been quietly sitting on a cholla branch just six or eight inches from me. I immediately began concentrating my efforts on the cicada, the allegedly perfect blossom completely forgotten.
Here’s a crop of the cicada. Aren’t its eyes amazing? I also love the clarity of its transparent wings. It has seemed like a particularly good year for cicadas in the foothills — they’re everywhere, all the time. Maybe they’re thriving because so many of their competitors are elsewhere this spring.2
Last but not least, we return to the bee with pollen all over its leg.
Correction: Make that pollen all over its legs, plural. Not to mention the beautiful dusting of pollen all over its fuzzy body.
Hope you’ve been enjoying this longest day of the year!
Prickly pears in the Sandia foothills seem to be on an every-other-year blooming schedule.
Elsewhere, as in all the places I can’t go due to forest closures. I just know all those butterflies up in the mountains are having big parties every day, rejoicing in their freedom from human predators.
Beautiful shots of critically needed pollinators! Thanks Lisa, for the great close-ups!