This time of year bees are very important for the orchards. The almond orchards of the Central Valley of California are full of beautiful white blossoms and the bees are hard at work.

Here you can see hives at the end of the rows of trees in an almond orchard. Two hives are needed for every acre of almond trees.

Each year billions of bees are brought into California to pollinate the million plus acres of almond orchards.

Here you see a closeup of the almond blossoms and the first leaves on the trees.

I was unable to get pictures of bees on almond blossoms this weekend, but I did take some pictures of them pollinating another tree. Here you see a honey bee head deep in a blossom.

This picture is a bit out of focus and I wasn’t going to use it, but I just kept going back to it since I like the glow of the sun shining around the bee.

Here is another nice picture. It is amazing that the small little wings of the honey bee can keep it aloft. Especially if it has a large load of pollen. I was trying to get a picture of a been carrying a ball of pollen, but I did not have much luck. I am not so happy with the glasses that I have now as they darken in the sun and then I have trouble seeing the screen of my camera.

I took this picture four years ago, but thought I would end with it. It is one of the better pictures that I have taken of a honey bee.

It has finally stopped raining and I think I might get a quick walk in.

Steven