Miner Bees get their name from their nesting habits. They build tunnels underground, usually in sandy soil, with tunnels branching off of the main entrance where the females make egg chambers. I've seen images of them emerging from their nests but I've never been lucky enough to take my own photos of it. That changed today when I spotted a female Miner Bee dive straight down to the ground right in front of me while I was out in the yard with my camera. The area where she was nesting was in the sun and I needed to cut all of the natural light out so I could use the flash as the only light source to help freeze motion. So I set up a large flower pot close to the hole to give me some shade, laid down on the ground with the camera ready, and waited. As she popped her head up the image above popped into my head but I wasn't at an angle where I could get it. I'd re-position only to spook her into going back into the nest. Eventually she got use to me and I had to act quickly to take the shot. Once any nesting bee gets acclimated to me they won't site still for long, and in fact she took off not long after I took the photo.
The Butcher's Bill
I spent about 36 minutes shooting the Miner Bee and took 85 frames. I have a few images that I might post later, but none as good as the one with this post. Sometime when I'm shooting it feels like fun, but this time she made me work for the shot I wanted :)
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