Carolina buckthorn, oakleaf hydrangeas and sweat bees ...

This last week, a major nectar flow here is Carolina Buckthorn.  We have several found along the edge of the wooded areas.  There were thousand of bees (honeybees., bumblebees and many more) on them the times I checked over the last week.  The flowers are small (below) in clusters. Also blooming this week are milkweeds, bee balm, clover and coneflowers.

One of the flowers at our house blooming now are our oakleaf hydrangeas.  They produce a lot of pollen and have attracted many kinds of bees and other insects.

The wildflowers in our garden (and farm) are blooming ... below, a honeybee and bumblebee on butterfly plant (a milkweed).  Also a sweat bee (family Halictidae) on slender mountain mint.  No monarchs yet ...