March 18: Redbuds, carpenter bees

The pear trees in the city are past their prime, putting on green leaves, and now it's the redbuds to notice. They're subtler; the pink-purple doesn't stand out as much as the white, and their blossoms are like tiny little buds (hence the name) rather than broad petaled flowers. But they're lovely and they fit in with the native flora.



An spring insect first today: I saw a couple of carpenter bees hovering near my apartment! Carpenter bees look like bumblebees, but with a shiny black bottom instead of furry stripes. They also emerge earlier and behave differently. The males will come out and hover around their nest area, and they're curious and will come check you out if you walk past. It may seem alarming when they buzz around you, but they are docile and actually can't sting. The females are usually busy elsewhere; though they can sting, you rarely see them. They're called carpenter bees because they burrow in wood to nest. They're great pollinators, so they're good to have around. I think they're friendly and sweet.