Home»Gallery»Portola Valley Ranch, Windy Hill, Etc.»3/31/2021 Swarm of Bees and More: Black Oak Trail in Springtime»3/31/2011 Bee Swarm: Black Oak Trail Spring Selection

Venturing out to build a new life in a new hive, Western Honeybees rest overnight, a vibrant, moving mass hanging from a lichen-covered branch. The air is cool, but it will be warm today and the bees will move on. The mass of bees pulses with suppressed energy. Occasional bees fly out and back; others seek to nestle in, closer to their queen at the center, as they keep each other warm.

Here is a bee swarm encountered on Black Oak Trail -- plus a limited selection of other images: flowers, dark woods, and a Spotted Towhee in the thicket.