Other insects 1

this is not a bee but the Common Drone fly

this hoverfly (Volucella bombylans ) mimics a bumblebee, but it only has 2 wings

a Red Cuckoo bumblebee on a Purple loosestrife

a Short-haired bumblebee tumbled on a flowering panicled aster

a Tree bumblebee on a Dewberry

a Stripe-faced Dronefly sits on a flowering Water Mint

Pellucid flies resemble wasps, and the female lays her eggs in a wasp's nest

a Square-headed wasp

be careful, the sting of this European Hornet is very painful. It catches bumblebees and honey bees

a White-tailed bumblebee hangs on a Globe thistle

Other insects of the uiterwaarden (1) Bumblebees, Bees and Wasps

The nature reserves in the floodplains of Empel and Hedel are never mowed and therefore sport flowery meadows and bushes in spring and summertime.

On a warm day the area is buzzing with bumblebees, bees, wasps and flies.
Grasshoppers and beetles jump or scurry around the plants and water striders gracefully dart across the calm water surfaces.
These nature reserves are extensively grazed by cattle and their dung creates local habitats for dung flies.

All this busy life attracts insectivores like European hornet, frogs and dragonflies that are hunting for a meal.

Birds like great tit, long-tailed tit, stonechat and warbler also make an appearance to feed on all that delicious protein.

I use a Canon SX70 HS camera to shoot the insects. The camera may not always produce super-sharp images, but the extreme focal length of 1365 mm allows you to get close-ups while keeping your distance. But depth of field is an issue.

The photos are from 2021 onwards.

even at low temperatures, bumblebees like this Buff-tailed bumblebee are out to collect the nectar

a Common Carder bumblebee tastes from a Water Mint

a Red-tailed bumblebee empties a Welted thistle

a Honey bee sucks nectar from a flowering Tansy

Hornet mimic hoverflies are large, so they cam mimic hornet wasps

a German Wasp on a flowering Common Nettle