I happened to be making a run to the recycling center yesterday and took the opportunity to stop by the Audubon-Pennington Nature Park in Port Charlotte FL. Since it was midday I didn’t expect to see many birds but the path along the canal had a wealth of active insect life.

One of them was this Bee Fly who seemed so interested in the flowers that I was ignored as I followed it around. This allowed me to get really close.

Its proboscis is completely rigid making it look more like a mosquito than a bee but, it is a pollinator for these small flowers. As usual, just click on a picture for a larger view.