Some of the easiest pollinators to catch "on the job" are bumble bees... they tend to stay focused on their work, and they don't get too bothered by people getting a close look at them.
If you're lucky to find a bumble bee humming about the flowers in your yard, take a few moments to observe them:
- what colors are they? (some have orange stripes!)
- what kinds - and colors - of flowers are they visiting?
- do different bees visit flowers in the morning vs afternoon?
- can you hear a difference in the sounds they make?
- after visiting a flower, what's the next flower they go to?
You can make a "bee map" of your yard by following a bumble bee when she's on a pollen-collecting trip (but don't get so close that you bother her). Use some bamboo skewers to mark the flowers she visits. Poke one into the ground next to each flower she visits. Then when she flies away, draw a map of her journey and color in the flowers.
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