By Vladimir Brezina
This week’s Photo Challenge is Spring! (a little behind the curve as far as Wind Against Current is concerned: see here and here), and Ailsa’s travel-themed photo challenge is Close-up.
In our patch of Central Park, we know Spring has surely arrived when we notice the first insects flitting from flower to flower—
These photos are from mid-March of 2012—an early Spring that year! This year, the crocuses have long gone, and we haven’t seen any insects yet…
Another Spring Close-up is here.
Vladimir Brezina (RIP) 
Johna Till Johnson
Wind Against Current 
Fragile colors. Love the buzzing bees
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Thank you!!
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Beautiful as always! The purple color of those flowers is stunning! Really, really great shots! :)
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Thanks, Becky! :-)
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Beautiful flowers! Lovely images!!
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Thank you!!
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Beautiful post! Love, love the bees! :)
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I didn’t realize they got so busy first thing in the spring! :-)
Thanks, Amy!!
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Great work, I love the color of the crocus.
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Thank you! :-)
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Perfect shots for the themes, I love the intense purple the crocus shows to lure the bees (I think I read somewhere that bees can see in the UV range, too). We’re in Puerto Escondido on Baja, have been anchoring at desert islands and doing some kayaking, no internet for quite a while except some very spotty connection in La Paz until we got here. Today is our last day here, maybe time for one blog post?
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Yes, I think bees do see UV… Good point about the purple crocus!
Hope to see some photos from Baja! :-)
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Just saw your latest post, on the frigate bird rescue :-)
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the pollen clinging to the bees in the last two photos…love that!
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Yes, it’s amazing to see the amount of pollen they carry everywhere on their bodies when you look closely :-)
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Vlad I love the increasing detail in the series of photos. Such wonderful color.
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Unfortunately at some point I had to stop increasing the detail, since these were all taken handheld with a telephoto lens—I still haven’t got around to getting a macro-capable lens…
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Well these are magnificent especially considering they are hand held with telephoto !
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These are the best of a much larger crop ;-)
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Beautiful pictures!
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Thank you!!
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What a great series – the contrast between the pretty coloured flowers against the fallen leaves – like the old and the new. Love the bee dusted in pollen. Great job :)
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Yes, the crocuses come up through the carpet of last year’s dry leaves—old and new indeed!
Thank you!!
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A beautiful capture of crocuses (crocii) together with the debris of past Autumn.
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It really should be crocii… :-)
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Pingback: WPC (Spring) and Travel Theme (Close-Up) | alien shores
Sensational images. The close up of the fly is amazing, and bees always do it for me. They are just such fascinating animals to watch…I waste a lot of time with bees.
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I too wasted a lot of time that day with the bees, trying to catch them in flight… :-)
Thanks, Jo!!
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They are hard buggers to catch…so darn quick.
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And they change direction so abruptly… On the positive side, sometimes they hover—
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Absolutely gorgeous photos! I hope to be that good when I grow up… :)
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Just go out and observe closely… :-)
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Those bees are pollen heavy! Lots of stuff to take home from the hive. Excellent macros. That’s something I really admire, I’m not good at them at all. Really beautiful photos.
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I wonder where their hive is? I do know that some people in New York City keep bee hives on their roofs, but probably not in this neighborhood… And wasps build nests in the park itself—I’ve seen a few… :-)
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These photos are fascinating! Such beautiful colors!
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Thank you!!
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Reblogged this on Locating Frankenstein's Brain.
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Thanks for reblogging!
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Love, love, love the colours, the close-up, everything! Great captures!
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Thanks so much, Tania! :-)
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Love that you combined the themes. Spring time is so beautiful!
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Now that it’s finally here… :-)
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Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: Spring | Nola Roots, Texas Heart
Excellent sequence of photos, congratulations,
Aquileana :P
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Thanks—and thanks for following our blog!!
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I had pictures of Bee too but yours are so much better !
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Thanks! Yours are great—you just have to get closer! :-)
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I love how you have captured the bees covered in pollen, aren’t they busy little bees…:)
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And they have that little abdominal pollen sac :-)
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Gorgeous images, Vlad. Great bee captures! :) Happy Springtime! :)
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Now that it finally is Spring, it’s a happy one… Thank you, Sylvia! :-)
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Magnificent closeups!
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Thank you!!
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Those purple crocuses with their orange stamens are one of my favourite early Spring flowers. Wonderful bee images … good to see bees – we need them so much!
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Yes, it’s surprising how many flowers and trees are pollinated by bees, and only bees…
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These are outstanding photos, Vladimir. Spring in Chicago has been spotty at best, although the grass is in dire need of mowing from all the rain we’ve had. Things are finally beginning to bloom, though, and it’s wonderful after the long winter.
janet
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Sounds like it’s really happening, finally… enjoy the Spring, Janet!! :-)
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Love these colors, from a flower some would call humble. I guess it compensates with its serene palette.
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It may be humble, but it certainly stands out when it’s the only flower out far and wide… :-)
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And the first hopeful sign of spring!
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very beautiful click :-)
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Thank you! :-)
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wonderful series Vladi !
Ciao ciao
Max
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Thank you, Max!!
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That bee on the dry leaves looks like it’s drunk a bellyful of honey! Heh:)
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:-) I think it was cold, and warming up in the sunshine before going to work…
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Feel like squishing it. LOL!
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That would not be a nice thing to do…
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Hey I was just kidding ;)
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:-)
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Love the pollen-covered bee pictures, Vladimir. What an incredibly complex and interdependent world we live in.
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It does bring it home to one… :-)
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da’ 5th shot is very kewl :)
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Thanks!! :-)
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Clever combining the 2 challenges. I wish I would have thought of that.
My entry for Spring would have been perfect for close-up too.
Ahh … to find another!!!???
Great floral photos you’ve clicked. Spring flowers are so very colorful.
Very nice ….. XD
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You can always repurpose it retrospectively… :-)
Thanks, Isadora!!
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XD .. love that. Thanks !!!
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I love macro shots! Fantastic pics!
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Not true macro… but thank you so much!! :-)
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Really Nice!
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Thanks!!
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Beautiful photos, I personaly admire the courage to be this close to insects. The colors are very soothing and we get to see a part of the beautiful cycle of nature.
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Not that close, actually, with a telephoto lens… In any case, they ignore you and go about their business :-)
Thanks for following our blog!!
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They tend to storm right at me, I guess they confuse my hair for flowers :)
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:-) Johna has had that problem with her yellow hair, at the least convenient time…
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Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge & Travel Theme: Spring Close-up, Take Two | Wind Against Current
How beautiful…
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Thanks! :-)
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Beautiful compositions!
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Thank you—and thank you for following our blog!! :-)
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Thanks for your visit. I will follow your blog now. Vera
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Thank you so much for following, Vera!! :-)
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Beautiful photos again. Love the bee/flower shots. But then given my choice for the Spring theme I guess I would!
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Yours is great! :-)
Thanks, Jenny—and thanks for following our blog!!
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Pingback: Spring: Nostalgia and Waiting | Words & Pics
Gorgeous images ! :)
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Thank you! :-)
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