Bees in reverse

Bees can reverse, and it makes for adorable bee butt photos.

I originally went for a walk to find the sunflower field that had been talked about on the local wildlife forum, but I got somewhat distracted by a host of pink flowers that were swarming with bees of different shapes and sizes.

Now I don't know much about plants and flowers, so I have to look them up when I see them. Himalayan Balsam is described as an invasive weed, introduced here in the 1800's. I don't think the bees cared where they'd come from. 

I became a bit mesmerised watching them crawl inside the petals and then reverse themselves out. The smaller honey bees were able to turn around or leave through the gap in the sides, but the bumbles had to come out backwards. Just adorable to watch. 

Anyway, I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the photos I took.