Fooled by a "Honey Bee"

Finally the sun was shining, the outside temperature had climbed into the double digits (Celsius) and the garden lured me. It was not just my idea to go outside, also the insects appeared massively. Suddenly butterflies, bees and mosquitoes flew above my garden while bumblebees were gathering nectar and pollen from the dead nettle (Lamium).

However, my attention was attracted  by the "bees" on the grape hyacinths (Muscari). Every year I love to watch them while they are busy with the flowers. A few minutes later I had installed myself with my camera next to them. Making macros of insects is already much easier for me this year than last year and after some time I had taken some satisfying pictures. Even a picture of a "bee during a cleaning flight", when bees empty their bowels after they have not pooped the entire winter.

First they open the calyx......

.....and take the pollen and nectar

Empty the bowels.......

....and move on to the next calyx

On the internet I gathered some information, wrote my blog, looked again closely at the pictures I wanted to place ....... and doubted.
To be sure I asked a beekeeper whether this was a bee or not. The answer was clear. Ggggrrrr ......... I had been fooled again and had called a drone fly (Eristalis tenax, a kind of hoverfly) a bee. They are so alike, only the antennae on the head was missing, the cause of my doubts. The photos are the same, but I had to write a different text.

The photos are enlarged even more beautiful. Click on the first picture.

Thanks to all my friends abroad for their spontaneous, nice comments and praising words on my last blog. The first three pictures were chosen  by many of you as the most favorite pictures.

I hope we keep in touch. Of course I will visit you on your own blog, although it may take sometimes a little longer. My other very time consuming hobby is my garden and mostly my days and weeks are too short to do everything.

Greetings, Joke